This Holiday SeAsOn....

Here is a random post, as my brain tries to slow down from the chaos of this week....

Christmas was held at my sister and her families casa again this year. Good thing they have a big house to hold us all! It was great food, as always, and even better for the memories made this year. I was glad to have Pete and Fran here to enjoy the day with us, and have them stay with me during the holidays!

We also were lucky to have Aunt Michelle and her family join us. Can't believe it's 4 generations already on her side! Also, Tracy and her crew joined us. What great kids she has--so kind, caring, and genuine. It was nice to have everyone together.

Spent the afternoon todaydoing report cards and cleaning up at school, after my double dose of allergy shots. Fun, fun. Glad they're done, but that means school will be approaching again soon. Well, on January 5th :) Lissy will be here tomorrow for a week of fun....or something like that! :) We are heading to Parker to visit her grandparents (Pete and Fran) this weekend, and then back before New Year's Eve...have I ever mentioned that I am not a big fan of NYE? I would so much rather sleep....maybe this year something magical will change my mind. Haha.

Doggies are not fighting anymore...but I haven't given them much chance to be together and go at it. But, they're both safe and nursing them back to health is just not fun. I enjoy spending time with them, though. We have been on walks almost every day and they are both such amazing pups!

Looking forward to next week-hair appointment. There's nothing like a little pampering time to feel good about yourself! Hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve. Don't be stupid-get a cab if you need it! Or call me to pick you up :)

Here they are!!!

The time has finally arrived...to unveil our fabulous family pics from this year (<---SINCE this stupid blog is being slow, check them out on my facebook page. If you can't view them, let me know).

BIG thanks to Erin Roberts (http://www.photosbyerinleigh.com/) for the amazing pictures. You made us look great. The family was very pleased when they opened up their Christmas gifts and finally got to see them! I think I can say this will continue to be a family tradition each year. Looking back at last years pictures--it's amazing to see how big Abby and Kayla have grown! They are growing like weeds....and get even more adorable as they grow up!

I love the picture of all of our faces really close together. It was a big weird when taking the picture, but I think it turned out really great! I am also beyond thankful that Erin was able to catch a wonderful, and genuine, picture of my dad smiling. He looks so happy and like himself in that picture!

Hunger Games....

Has anyone taken the time to read this series? If not, I highly reccommend it.

Fingers Crossed....

(Note: these are NOT my fingers or my hand. I feel that's important to note here.)

All right, I know I may have said this a time or two...but I don't think I have written down my hope. So here goes. PLEASE, PLEASE let my dogs get along. They cannot fight anymore. This last fight is the last I can physically, emotionally, whatever handle.

There is a guy coming this weekend to work with them. I hope he is able to fix GB's aggression towards Lambeau. I love them both and having to pick one over the other will break my heart. Literally.

Jumping on the bandwagon....

With everyone posting a daily reason for being thankful, I thought I would join in on the fun...but I am going to put EVERYTHING (well, all I can remember at this point) I am thankul. Fasten your seatbelts, folks, this may be a long ride!! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

• I am thankful for my family. Each and every one of them. Without their support, kindness, and understanding I would not be the person I am today.


• I am thankful for my upbringing. Watching my parents make it through the tough times and the good times has made me appreciate the little things in life.


• I am thankful for the house I live in. Little things make me happy; each day when I get home from work I am thankful that the smell is still here to remind me of my grandparents...and I hope that never leaves. Makes my heart happy.


• I am thankful for my best friends. Without them, I would be a complete mess! They listen to my ups and downs, they listen when I am super excited or upset, but no matter what, they are always there for me.


• I am thankful for my pups. I know "some" have said I shouldn't have them, but I love each day with them. Especially days like today when I can cuddle with each one and spend lots of time loving them.


• I am thankful for those who made me smile and happy over the years.


• Memories. I love them. I am so thankful to have them.


• I am thankful for the hunting/camping times I have had. The little things, like remembering a fun time with family and all the times around the campfire make a bad day tolerable.


• I am truly thankful for my job. Even on the worst day, I know how hard I worked to get there and how hard I work each day to keep myself prepared.

All right...I think that's it. If I have forgotten anything, I will add it later :)

Thankful for....

After a long week of worry, anxiety, and the unknown, I am so happy for that to be over. Mom went in for surgery today, and what was thought to be a very scary and a-not-so-happy-ending turned out to be pretty good for us. No cancer (biopsy results will confirm this, the dr said he doesn't think it is cancer AT ALL).

It's these scary moments that make you realize how important your family and loved ones are. I hope to NEVER go through this again, and I pray that you don't either.

Love you Ma!!!

Dear Deer Hunt 2011

I had a great time. Even though it was cold, and too short of a trip. I thank you for the fun and the family memories!!! I want to remember from this trip:

1. The 7 hour drive to get to Williams (it's a 4 hour drive, but with our long trip in the car and silly outlook, we missed the exit....by 90+ miles).
2. GB's first camping trip. Although the dogs got in a fight, and she will NO LONGER be invited to go camping, I am glad she had a *little* time to explore the mountains.
3. Abby and Kayla's first hunting trip-Abby's excited voice wanting to go 'catch' a deer.
4. Family memories. There are never enough!

(for pictures, go to my Facebook page. I am too lazy to post them again on here)

Special Education madness

Take me back to 5th grade; the special education teacher was asking for one student from each class to help out in her room, a few times a week, to help integrate her students with peers their age (of course in 5th grade, I did not know that's what we were doing! I thought we just got to go do some fun crafts and lessons with them!!). I was scared, like most kids, going in. Didn't know what to do, how to act, what to say or not say. The teacher made me feel so welcome and that I was really needed in this room. I fell in love, almost instantly. I was fortunate to get to work in this classroom the following year, as well.

Fast forward to high school-what did I want to do with my life? I wasn't brainy, or athletic. I knew I wanted to be a teacher. So I started at the community college, and we all know how that goes...take a few classes, get sent to do some interning in classrooms. Yep, only fueled my desire to teach...and eventually work with students who need special help.

ASU time comes around, and the wait to get in to the Special Education department is 2 semesters. I was too impatient. So I went the general ed route; with every intention of going back some day to continue studying special education. In time, that happened, got my masters degree from NAU in Special Education. Think it's all done here? Nooooo...you can get a degree in an area, but not be certified until you take the AEPA (yes, I took and passed it to teach general ed already!). I finally buckled down this summer, studied off and on and took the plunge...and signed up for the test.

I took it last month, when I was very sick. BUT, the AEPA doesn't care if you are sick! I had paid too much and invested too much to reschedule. My nerves were a wreck, so I just went in and did it!

Found out yesterday that I passed! I was so relieved. You may ask, what am I going to do with this now? I tell you-absolutely nothing. It's for my future plan. Not right now, sometime later. But when that time comes, I am now certified and ready to go!

30 celebrations and memories

I forgot to post about my wonderful birthday! I was so lucky to spend it with 29 amazing kiddos who I adore (most of the time), friends who visited or sent well wishes, and dinner with the family. The weekend before my birthday I went geocaching with Amanda and family:



I was spoiled at school. Got some beautiful flowers from Tracy, and a cute poster from my class. PLUS my mom came by to see me, with treats for the kids and my annual classroom bday plant!








There's nothing like a birthday to feel so loved! In a few short weeks, I will be getting my 30 bday present, courtesy of family and friends pitching in to it and an old friend designing it. I will post a picture, along with the meaning, once it happens :)

Why, oh why...and where....and who...and, ya.

It's times like this that I remember one of the major perks about teaching. No, not the money-ha-or the amazing gifts, or the perks of being self employed or anything....the breaks and time off we get!! As we enter into Fall Break, I have some time to update the blog which also gives me a place to vent. So beware, from here, you may not want to read. It's more for my mental health than anything else. I am not offended if you click off of this here and now, and do not return for a bit. I promise! :)

• my mom has been having leg issues. After a leg doppler, ct angioplasty, and an upcoming ultra sound, the doctors are still unsure what is going on. At this point it's one of two things: 1- a blood clot. Ya, we know. We are scared too. 2-a spasm in her blood veins/arteries (remember: I am not a doctor, I am a teacher so some details are a little blurry). This second option MAY be fixed with meds.


• in the process of the ct angioplasty, the radiologist noticed a suspicious tumor on my mom's pancreas. Awesome, so not only is she stressed about her leg, my dad, life, work, family, she now adds this on.


• we should hear from the doctor's office tomorrow (fingers crossed!!) so she can schedule her ultra sound and hopefully a biopsy this week-thank goodness that we are off work (again, a perk that goes along with teaching).


• I took the AEPA test for special education about a month ago. Test results come in tomorrow. IF I passed (I highly doubt I did) I will dedicate an entire post as to why I decided to finally test. If I didn't pass, then we shall act like I never took the test. I won't retest-it was HARD and EXPENSIVE. I studied most of the summer (off and on) and again the weeks before the test. True to AEPA form, the test was nothing like the study guide.


• dad spent a few days here. It was actually very fun and I enjoyed the time with him. He was in great mental shape and we had fun going to the store. When I take him, I "let' him ride in the motorized carts. And he is a crappy driver!! He hit a few displays/store shelves at Walmart, but I don't think anyone else noticed. I got a great laugh out of it!


• in a few days I will see an allergist. Hopefully we can figure out, and get rid, of the sinus infections forever. May be asking too much, but I can hope!


• Oh, did I also mention my mom has her mammogram this week? She is 7 (I think??) years breast cancer free. Each time this test comes around we are all nervous. Add to the list of worries, right?


• Abby and Kayla are freaking adorable. Today Kayla ran to me....all excited to see me. Abby gave me lots of hugs and kisses. These two are great for taking the mind off of stressful situations!


• Lambea and GB are getting along, great! I am so happy they decided to be good sisters and love each other! I am also relieved that they didn't have to be permanently seperated from each other. Always a good thing! Don't want to break up a family...

Ok, think I am done for now...I think

So in love...

So other people brag about how adorable their kids are, the major milestones...well, here are my loves! GB and Lambeau are happily getting along these days-just like sister's and BFF's do! I took this picture the other day after catching Lambeau IN the tree well....and all covered in mud. I wasn't mad because the dog's had so much fun in the water :) And they're little pups, after all....

The big 30....

So as my birthday approaches, I can't help but think what a milestone year this is. Thirty. 30. Three 10's. Six 5's. You get it. So it has brought up a few questions:
1. Am I where I thought I'd be at 30?
2. Have I accomplished all I'd hoped by 30?
3. What else do I want to do with my life?
4. Should I feel more pressure for this birthday?

I don't have major plans this year, and I feel like I should. But a big shindig just isn't me. And I don't want to make a big fuss when I don't know what I should be celebrating. For instance, (be patient, I'm thinking as I type) here are some answers to the above questions.

1. I never honestly set any goals for my life years.....I have never said that by 30 I needed to accomplish certain things. So I can't really answer this question. I am glad, and very fortunate, to be living in my grandparents house and keeping that memory alive. I am so lucky to have two adorable nieces (ABBY AND KAYLA, THAT'S YOU!!!) and amazing friends. In this way, I am so happy with life. And almost being the big 3-0!
2. I am proud of myself. I was surprised to graduate high school, so to continue on and be where I am today is a shock in many ways. I am proud I have furthered my education (as far as I can, pretty much!!) and proven to myself that I can do it.
3. I want to eventually (maybe 5 or 10 years) move into special education. Right now, I am so happy with my teaching position and I don't want to change a thing.
4. I feel like other people "want" a big party for me, but I have kind of already answered this question above.

So, biggest question? What will I do to celebrate this year. I have decided. And for those who know me, it has taken a long time to actually decide. But it's official. I am getting a tattoo. On my foot. And yes, the little sentences and pauses are necessary to enhance the fact! Once I get it, I will post a picture and describe why it's so important to me....until then....you must wait :)

So torn....

I was so lucky to find an amazing puppy in Lambeau. Since she came into my life, it has been nothing but love and fun (even during those hard puppy years!!). When GB came into our lives, everything was great. For months they've played, ran, and enjoyed being sisters.

This past week everything changed. GB's food aggression came out, and poor Lambeau had to suffer. It came out of nowhere; there weren't any real signs (little fights that didn't amount to anything over toys)...but these past two (yes, two) fights were so bad I had to take Lambeau to my parents' to give her time to heal. And boy, have I missed the little rugrat running around and her burst of puppy energy!

Yesterday I picked Lambeau up and brought her home. I was so happy. I kept her and GB separate until this morning, to give them time to adjust. Meg came over, and we tried having the two dogs together. It didn't go well. In fact, it didn't go well at all. Lambeau only wanted to fight. So after a day of tears, talking, re-hashing the situation, it's been decided to have Lambeau go back to my parents for a while. Let her heal (she still has some nasty cuts on her legs, and her heart needs to heal....). I will keep GB here.

I know it sounds terrible-sending my first pup away. I'm absolutely torn. At my parents she has two other dogs to play with, and my dad can keep an eye on her since he is home all day. And my mom can help her injuries heal. Right now, having both dogs at home I have to keep them apart at all times. One in a kennel, one outside and then switch. It's do-able, but not fair to any of the dogs.

My fear is that I will have to get rid of GB. She may not sound like a great dog (from earlier comments on here) but she is an absolute sweet heart. She loves to put her head on my lap. When I get home she is so happy to see me she runs in circles. Abby spent the night last night and GB joined us in bed-and was so gentle and sweet with Abby!

I just pray that, in time, we can go back to our happy little family....

Ten Years.....

Ten years ago, today, 9/11 happened. I remember it, like most Americans, as if it were yesterday. Everyone always says "I will remember where I was....." and it's so true. I was in my first year at ASU, and attended the Willaims AFB (aka ASU East) campus. From this day on, the campus changed, policies changed, and all American's had changed.

My little blog cannot tell all those who have sacrificed their life thank you. It cannot bring back those who gave everything for my freedom. It cannot heal hearts of those who have gong through this. I can only say two words....thank you.

As I sit at my house watching tv, thinking about family and friends, I remember the importance of this day. Thank you to everyone out there who has fought for me.

And we're back...

Back to school! This past week we welcomed a new batch of fifth graders...and I must say I am quite impressed. I know, I know, it is still too early to make any judgements, but I am very happy that they can:

• walk in a straight, quiet line


• listen when I am talking

As weird as it is, I don't feel like this week was the typical 'first day/week' of school...is it because I know so many students from the hallways and siblings? I just hope it continues to go smoothly!

Time to meet....

My newest addition to the family (on the right, FYI).....so here's what happened:

I went with my mom and Meg to the AZ Humane Society to go to lunch with Meg's mom-who works there. After lunch I casually said "let's go look at the dogs"...totally not thinking I'd end up with one. Long story short, I ended up adopting this beautiful dog-who I have renamed GB. Love it!!!

Presenting....

...this year's classroom! I got the idea from a colleague to do a football theme....but I couldn't leave it there. Everything is Packers and/or green and yellow. Well, not everything, but you get the point!

My classroom job board

Teacher area...a bit of a brighter green and yellow but it does the job!

Wish list for meet the teacher night...they're footballs w/yellow tags requesting items

Packers shrine leading into the next room...sorry Erin!

For AR tests...

These are a little hard to read, but say: AR CHAMPS, TOUCHDOWN! AR POINTS DUE, and PENALTY: MISSING WORK. All to go with the theme :)

This is where the student of the week information will go (aka Wolf of the Week at our school)

Are you ready for some birthdays???!!!

Aaaaaah, the infamous lunch choice area, a necessity here at Towne Meadows.

I am so happy with the way it all turned out. Yes, it was a lot of work at the end but when I walk in it makes me SUPER happy! Thanks to all who helped with ideas, and putting up with my million questions :)

(fellow teachers will love this part: I spent MAX $20 on the whole classroom-the rest I owned)

Summertime BFF

This post is inspired by Jill...I saw her post about her BFF (iced tea-good choice!). Right now, I am longing for my summertime best friend:

Camping has so many perks:

• fresh air


• clear mind


• amazing memories


• beautiful scenery


• patience


• no rush of time


• family time


• relaxation


• a happy Jamie

Downsides of camping:

• lack of shower :(


• miss my bed

As you can see, there are many more positives to the outdoors than the negatives!

July Camping 2011

If you know me, or anyone in my family, you know we love to camp! With all the health scares we have had this summer, camping has been put on hold...until this past weekend! It was a planned trip with the whole family: Mom, Dad, Jared, Chel and the kids, and a few of my friends (Josh, Tom, Joe, Meg, Jess, and Jen). We stayed just outside of Clint's Wells, and it was absolutely beautiful. The trees were so green, the weather was gorgeous, and we all were so happy to get away for the weekend.

This was Abby and Kayla's first camping trip, and my sis' first trip in about 5 years:


Needless to say, they had a lot of fun!!!

We took a trip to the lake to take the girls fishing. It was a success, despite the fact that there were NO fish caught, NO bites, hours in the sun, and a little fun with the crawfish :)

I also enjoyed the panoramic feature on the camera!

England Friends

This is dedicated to the two newest family members....Josh and Tom.

1. I was a bit nervous at the thought of you guys staying with me.
2. I am SO glad you chose to stay with me!
3. We had a blast with you here, and I still think you should come back...
4. Forget Vegas and its pretty lights, come back here!
5. Their kindness and polite way of handling things is amazing.
6. I could learn more from them.
7. I still have your accent stuck in my head (I swear, my thought are now in a British accent instead of American Englihs).
8. Can't wait to see you again!!
9. I enjoyed every moment of you being here. Being so kind to my dad and loving on my mom made some great memories.
10. Tom-thank you for taking Abby and Kayla under your wing. They LOVED you.
11. Josh-you will be here soon enough...in less than a year....and I am so happy!!
12. Love you both like brothers. Seriously, LOVE my real brother, but you guys are awesome.


Thank you for the memories!

Too long...

Ok, I can finally commit to a blog post. It has been too long...so here's a quick wrap up of the past few months:

• School year ended. I was sad, but happy, to see this group go. I get so attached each year, but look forward to the "big bad 6th graders" they will become. I tried a new thing this year: as I took down bulletin boards, I put up the board for next year. Teachers, you know what I am talking about. Especially if you like to change it up each year like I do. Now when I return in August, I just have to fill the boards and set up desks!


• STRESS. Know what that is? Why yes, I do. We became frequent visitors to Mountain Vista Medical Center. First time around: fabulous. Treated my dad the very best; we ranted and raved about their great healthcare. Second time: terrible. Misdiagnosed multiple times, had us believing my dad was doing terrible...and he wasn't. Won't go back there, EVER, even in a major emergency. I will beg my mom to drive the extra few streets to get to Banner. (Yes, this is the same hospital I had to stay in for my leg infection. And the same hospital Kayla was born in!!)


• Summer. It's finally here! I enjoyed my 1.5 weeks off work before the summer job began. LET ME TELL YOU....I was looking forward to camp this year! So excited to go in, knowing what to expect and what was expected of me. I jumped in, head first, to this round of camp. It's a fantastic camp with wonderful staff and even more amazing participants. I am loving each moment with them!


• Visitors. We were very lucky to have Lissy and Erica come out from good ol' Wisconsin to visit. They stayed a few nights here with me, and then some time at Jared's. It was good to get to know them better (since we just met them last year on our visit to WI!). I am looking forward to them coming back soon!


• Wedding. Have I mentioned Amanda is getting married in a year....and I have been asked to be the maid of honor? And, have I mentioned, I have seen BRIDESMAID'S twice and am now fully prepared for the job?


• Nieces. Adorable. That's all I have to say :)

Until next time...

Anyone, anyone?

So I am a total blog stalker...and have noticed some really cute fonts. How are you guys doing this? Is it free? Can anyone help me, talk me through it? Preferably in a reply to this so I can follow the directions???

Thanks...

Dear Diary

I apologize, to this dear blog, for the lack of attention it has been receiving lately. Things have been crazy, which is no excuse....but it's all me, not you. I take full blame.

In nine days school will be over, and I will have more time to focus on us. We can try to form and build our relationship again. Until then, I hope you understand.


Sincerely,

Jamie

Settling in

I have lived in this beautiful casa for over a year now. Lots of things have changed but I am finally feeling like I am settling in. I have learned to pull weeds as I see them, so they don't get away from me (they're fast little boogers!). I know to keep up on the yardwork so it looks like someone lives here. The whole house is kept clean (probably too clean, but I love it); this way when company comes over all I have to really do is dust. I have learned to fend for myself-and can fully admit that I am NOT a good cook. I also have learned to appreciate my family more. There are times where I really miss having another human in the house (Lambeau doesn't always talk back to me when I want to engage in a conversation...) but there are also times that I love being alone. Needless to say, I am settling in!

Happiness is.....?

• getting home to have an adorable puppy waiting for you


• walking in to a house that's perfectly clean


• watching my nieces laugh and play


• listening to the cute stories


• NOT AIMS testing (yes, it's boring for teachers, too)


• 
  
  having your laundry done for you, folded and ready--and leaving the ironing for me because that's the best part!


• 
  
  

Happiness is NOT:

• coming home to a huge mess from the puppy


• mysterious stains on the carpet


• purchasing a nice area to use to keep the puppy contained to keep the above from happening....

Know what makes me the saddest? Leaving in a rush for work, forgetting to open the doggie door and close up the nice area thingy purchased for the puppy....so the pup can get loose and do whatever she wants all day. Oops!

2 already?!

How can you not love this face?

Miss Kayla-bug celebrated her 2nd birthday this past week (thanks to my sis for the pictures! glad someone uses their camera...). Things I want to remember about her at this age:

• 
  
  it's fun to tell people how old you are


• 
  
  when she says Jamie it comes out "chaymeee)


• 
  
  when she yells I LUB YOU, or even just randomly says it


• 
  
  the smile she seems to always have


• 
  
  when we say look (and point up), she does, and then laughs when we tickle her


• 
  
  her laugh!!


• 
  
  the happiness she always brings to my sister, mom, and dad


• 
  
  her LOVE for Jared. man, it's crazy!

Here she is, practicing her "2"

Opening the presents...didn't care what was in it, just wanted to unwrap it!

Update time...

Nothing REALLY exciting has happened...just been chugging along taking each day by storm! Here are some small snipits of what's been going on:

• stupid car went back to the dealership now 3 times to be fixed for the same thing. Will there be a 4th, or is it finally fixed???


• AIMS testing is quickly approaching..and so is the infamous Famous Person Report the students write in 5th grade. It's a pretty big deal...


• Lambea is growing, I think. People say she's getting bigger, but I have yet to see it. I did have to buy a gate-thingy to keep her confined so we don't have a repeat of Friday's wild time in the house...let's just say, all the grocery bags were shredded and a few candles eaten...


• Kayla-bug had her 2nd birthday! I am waiting for my sis to post pictures so I can steal them and dedicate a post to Kayla.


• I slept, a lot, this weekend. Like 15 hours (actually more) straight....yikes.

What an exciting life, eh?

Love thy brother....

So the next time I get annoyed, frustrated, etc., with my brother, I need to look at this and remember what he did today. I am completely useless when it comes to vehicles (and many other things!!) so when my sis told me my headlight was out, I TRIED to get it fixed on my own. When that didn't work, I text Jared to see if he could help. Of course, he said yes!

Songs to sing....

So driving in the car today, I started thinking about what song would describe me most. I thought--how fun it would be to get everyone to reply to this and post what song THEY think describes them most. Will you do it? Seems harmless, like fun, and I can compile all the posts in a few days.

Is it country? Pop? Oldies? What song do you relate to most? Don't forget to reply!!

Spring Break, days 1 and 2

One of the benefits of being a teacher is getting the same time off during the school year that the students do!

I started the week by babysitting my fav little 5 month old...no, not Lambeau! I spent a good chunk of yesterday with little Emersyn. We did a little shopping, but mostly hung out at her place and talked. A lot. Wow, can she chat off my ear :)

Last night we had a campout at my parents house with Abby and Kayla. Too cute, Abby was so excited! She called at one point (around 2:00) to tell me to hurry and come over because it was getting dark out....

Grandma went all out and had hot dogs to bbq over the campfire (fire pit). We enjoyed the food and being outside, even made some smores!

Then came the fun of sleeping...Abby talked a good game about sleeping in the camper with me (it's even better than CAMPING-it was plugged in to the electric so we had a/c and power!!). We layed down for about five minutes, and Abby decided she didn't want to sleep in there anymore. I took her in with Grandma, and brought out Kayla....and that lasted about an hour and a half. :) She woke up screaming, so she went back to bed with Grandma. Grandma had a very full bed!! I, on the other hand, just had two large dogs in bed to wrestle with. Lambeau enjoyed her first campout, she played the whole time with Kaydee and Packer!

(so, ya, who is the smart one who did not take ANY pictures? Ya, that'd be me. Enjoy the free clipart courtesy of google images....)

Abby's first run!

Abby ran her first race this past weekend, at the Phoenix Zoo! She loves that her momma does races (marathons) so she was so excited to be in her very first one. Chel (her mom) ran it with her, while the rest of us (me, my mom, Aunt Michelle, Stacy, Gwen, Kayla, and Jason) were there to cheer her on! Who knows who was more excited when she passed by...us, or Abby! :) She sure is a big girl, and I am so proud of her!!

Chel got her some new running shoes, which she wore around the house to practice before the race (Chel says in her undies, a t-shirt, socks and shoes!). Too bad we don't have a picture of that cutie-pieness to share!After the race we were allowed to stay at the zoo and walk around. Did I think to take many pictures while Abby was running? No. Glad my sister did so that I could steal them from her!!

Here is some "after race" fun! Who told them to pick the statues nose?? Oops!

Geocaching: unsuccessful

Today the group got together to introduce Newby to geocaching. Started out with a nice lunch at Paradise Bakery at Tempe Marketplace, and then the fun began! I had 5 caches printed out...and we did NOT find one. Ok, Meg and Newby found one when we were finishing, but the other three of us did not see get a chance to walk over to see it (a tired baby, a tired Jamie....).

So, NO pictures were taken, so I downloaded a fake one to share:

Next time WILL be more of a success, I promise!

101 reasons why I love Lambeau...

Ok, so not really 101 reasons...

But I am impressed that you'd read this to see if I really would post 101 reasons! I have not had the pup long enough to come up with all 101 but I am sure I could come up with pretty close to it if I put some time/effort into it :)


My favorite things about Lambeau:

• cuddling at night. It may take her a bit to calm down from the excitement of going to sleep, but when she does it's totall worth it!


• she's always happy when I come home from work. It doesn't matter what kind of day I have had, she is always happy and it's contagious


• the great saying "who rescued who" totally applies to this pooper!


• she lets me call her fun names like pooper :)


• cuddling...did I mention that already?


• her sweet face-even as she is biting my leg...


• her crazy eyes when we play tug with the rope


• overall-just everything!

Just remember....

On those super tough, hard to understand, all patience is lost days with my dad I want to remember the good days. Like this past weekend-he was so happy to be here. I do believe a change of environment helps him stay in tip top mental shape sometimes! So, back to this past weekend...we ate yummy food, took him to get a hair cut at that really nice salon by my house (FYI it's Great Clips!), and then went to a few nurseries to window shop for some trees for my backyard, and just spent TIME together. Walking around the nursery and looking at the plants helped trigger some of his memories, and I have decided to LISTEN when he talks...instead of tuning him out. I don't want to look back and regret anything! I listened, each and every time, as he told the story of his landscaping days....and when he repeated the story a few times later during I pretended like I had not yet heard the story!

I want to look back on this and think of the good days :) They aren't always so good, and I am glad to take a moment remember!

Weekend FUN!

SUNDAY

Today Miss Emersyn was baptised into the Catholic Church. As her Godmother, I promise to raise her in any emergency, and teach her to enjoy football and become a die-hard Packers fan!

SATURDAY/SUNDAY

This past weekend I was fortunate to have my dad, Kaydee and Packer over (for those who don't know, Kaydee and Packer are my parents' dogs). Boy was Lambeau excited to have her friends over. Kaydee was patient with her, but Packer taught her how to play :) I didn't get any great pictures of them outside, but here are some from this morning as we lounged around:

Kaydee not wanting anything to do with my camera

Packer and her cute ears!

Lambeau sitting still for the first time all weekend :)

SUNDAY

Driving my dad home today, I saw this beauty:

The Superstition Mountains with LOTS of snow! Too pretty not to share!