Good-bye Grandma Verna

Jason's Grandma passed away last Sunday. It seems that we've had quite a few funerals in the past year...I don't like that at all! The services for her were very nice, I'm sure she would be happy with it and Jason did a great job speaking at mass. Taylor was full of questions when we got the cemetery and she saw them place the casket where she would be buried. How do you explain all that to a child? Its hard for me to even think about and comprehend! It got me thinking more and more about being cremated??? I always thought that was just uncomprendable and cruel, but after Mawmaw and Pawpaw both were cremated and their remains are at their house where everyone talks to them it doesn't seem so bad anymore. I like the fact that you can spread the remains anywhere, that makes it a little special. Some of Pawpaw is going to Indy this year to be spread on the track and some of Mawmaw will be left in her garden. I think each of the kids are going to have a small urn of them mixed together and then the remaining will be buried at Jefferson Barracks. (This probably is the most appropriate thing to be talking about on my blog huh?? :) Well, life is short and if ever anything would happen then everyone will know my thoughts! I especially don't like the thought of someone (like my husband) having to decide where I would be buried?? With my family, with his, etc? Thats a tough decision, and then on top of that its so expensive! I can't believe the money spent on caskets that just go into the ground forever. Its all very strange to think about, but I did my best to explain to Taylor that after you die, you sleep in your casket in the ground forever.....sound okay? She seemed appalled! I really hate the thought of it too! Well anyway, I've learned a few things from the several funerals we've attended lately. 1. We are all getting older....I'm getting older, my parents are getting older, and I'm only left with one grandparent. Life is just way too short!!! I'm going to make the most of every opportunity, every holiday, every memory. 2. Anything can happen to anyone at any time! You can die tomorrow in an accident, be diagnosed with an incurable disease, or you can live to be 100...you just don't know. So, I've asked Jason to tell me how he would want things and I want to tell him what I would want if anything should happen to me (like you know....what outfit would you put me it and that important stuff...lol, kidding...a little). I also want to be sure my kids know how much I love them and that they have great memories with me. 3. Dying is part of life. Its not very easy to deal with, but we move on. I don't know how some people do it. There are some circumstances that I cannot imagine ever living through, but God has a plan so we must trust in it and continue on.
Wow....what deep thoughts huh?! Didn't really know I was going to go that far, but oh well I did!
Rest in peace Grandma Verna.

trouble maker!

I always thought that girls were girls....easy, sweet, no trouble. I was way wrong! Taylor and Parker couldn't be more opposite...at least at the age Parker is! I haven't been posting alot lately. The holidays were crazy, work has been way too busy and I don't ever get an extra minute to write about our little monster at home! I can't believe we haven't been to the ER yet, but we came close with the embroidery machine incident. Thats another thing thats been keeping me busy, but the problem is that I don't have a work space, so I embroider and sew on the basement floor. Okay with me except that the kids are always down there too and Parker is a little too nosy! I actually watched it happen....I turned my back for one minute while the machine was going and turned around to see her putting her little finger right under the needle!!!! The needle went right through her middle finger and came out the other side! Oh lord...I get sick all over just telling the story! The machine jammed up and her and I both screamed equally loud! Jason and Taylor were in the other room and came running. I held her hand under the machine so she would not rip her finger out, but I really for a split second could see us carrying the machine in to the ER with her finger in it. Thank god, I was able to loosen the needle and we got it out with the needle still through it and Jason had to pull it out! She was very lucky it went through the side and tip of her finger and not the nail. It also didn't get her bone. Taylor and I were more histerical than she was really. 5 minutes later she was nearing the machine again and eating the bandaid off her finger....really kid??? Thats been our worst so far with her, but here are just a few more of her little tricks so far...

• coloring on her face and eyes with a black marker (probably doing her makeup like mommy!)
• throwing shoes in the bathtub (with water in it) and cd's in the shower (while I'm in it.)
• climbing from the highchair on to the table.
• finding a pack of gum and opening piece by piece and shoving it in her mouth (trident green too...Taylor doesn't even like that stuff).
• getting her little butt stuck in the top of a Barbie van (not a riding toy, a barbie van for barbies). She tried to climb into it and the babysitter couldn't get her out!
• shakes her finger at us and tells us "No No No"....quite funny sometimes!

I've never seen a baby do the things she does! Taylor never climbed, never opened drawers, never hit, never told us no, nothing! I must say she is a handfull and I'm really nervous for the school days with this one, but there is never a dull moment. She makes us laugh more than anything! She is very outgoing and talks up a storm. Everyday she says more words. She can be polite too, saying Please and Thank You for things (thank you to the babysitter for that) and she loves to snuggle with her taggie blankie and new pillow mommy made for her for Christmas. We wouldn't trade her for the world. Even Sissy gets a pretty good kick out of her....when she's not getting beat up by her!

Snow Days

So today was our second snow day. Really the first of the year, but its the second this winter season and its Parker's first time out in the snow! I love the look in thier eyes when they look out the window and see the snow for the first time! Parker says, "Ho Ho" like for some reason now snow always means Santa?? Its amazing the things she is putting together! The other day I thought it was so smart of her to see the humidifier going (cool mist of course) and to say "hottt". How did she know that seeing steam meant hot?? I mean really she only sees my coffee and we say hot! I thought that was so cute and clever so I went along with it! And she says hot so cute too!
Anyway, back to the snow day....it was alot of fun. Its so funny to see the little bitty ones try to walk in the snow! She did about 5 faceplants in the snow! It always reminds me of the movie A Christmas Story and the poor little boy who couldn't get up. They had fun sleding up and down the driveway. Daddy and Taylor got to have some fun sleding later in the day at the park too. I get really jealous of that stuff while I'm at work! If only I were a teacher or owned my own business....then I'd be doing that fun stuff with them :( Soon enough!

 this is as close as we're getting to a real dog, but Parker loves him!

 Go Daddy...faster, faster!

 Look at that little face!



Happy Birthday Daddy Jason!

We are really behind on here, but we didn't want to forget to wish daddy a happy birthday! His real birthday was on Monday (Martin Luther King Day), but we decided to celerate over the weekend. Grandma Verna had a stroke and wasn't doing very well, so our dinner with my family for his birthday didn't include him :(. We went to Syberg's and he had to leave. It was also Haley's birthday on Friday, so we celebrated hers too. Can't believe Haley is 12!!

We got daddy a new trail-cam for hunting and a hat and a car cleaning kit. I think he did okay this year. The girls had fun singing happy birthday and eating cake. Unfortunately Grandma Verna passed away on Sunday :( so it was a sad day. I'm glad it wasn't on his actual birthday though. Happy 27th Birthday Daddy! (I know.....only 27...god he's young!)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was a very big deal this year! Parker loved Santa and the tree and the presents. She went to the window 8 times a day to see the blow up santa in the yard and say "Ho Ho Ho." Taylor loved decorating the tree and singing christmas songs! She really wanted a horse this year, even though she has 10 horses already! We knew Santa would bring her one too. And Parker wanted a baby doll...or mommy told her thats what she wanted! They had fun wrapping presents with me and putting them under the tree. Taylor even checked a couple mornings early to see if Santa had some yet. And on Christmas morning I said, "do you think Santa came?" and she said, "no....I didn't even hear his boots." I told her to go check anyway and her face was just priceless! Her eyes were huge! She woke up daddy and Parker and tore in!
Santa visited us on Christmas Eve Eve because we had so many stops to make and we spent the night at Mawmaw Jan's house on Christmas Eve to make things easier. By Sunday night we had done 6 Christmases!! Taylor didn't even want to open anymore presents and you should have seen our basement piled with new toys and bags and boxes! Spoiled little girls we have!

Carriage Ride disaster...

I decided this Christmas that I was going to start a new family tradition! I just love traditions and we needed one of our own. We've been trying for years to get a private carriage at Tillis park and take the kids through the lights, but they are always sold out by the time we try to get the tickets! This year I did it extra early and invited our parents and my sister and the kids to come over for a turkey dinner before hand and then go on the 10 person private carriage. It just figures that we got a big ice and snow storm that day! I was told there are no refunds or cancellations and we even called that day to be sure. Jason's parents couldn't make it down due to the weather, so we were down to 8 of us. I made my first turkey (well turkey breast) and it turned out great. I told everyone else dispite the below freezing temps and wind chills we WERE going! So they all came with all their gear! We had  a great dinner and rushed around to do the dishes, make hot chocolate, put it in coolers, bundle up the kids, get in the cars, drive to the park.......only to get to the park and see complete darkness!!!!  Imagine having 4 really excited kids in the car....well, and one very excited mom and see that it was closed! I will be honest, I was devistated! The park ranger told us that the park and lights were damaged and we would get a full refund. Jason happily tells them, "Ok great...thanks alots!" I said, "Thanks alot? Pull that damn car back there! I have a few words to say!"
So that was it. NO ride! And they were completed booked for 10 person carriages through christmas, so it would have to wait till next year. Only since I have the best hubby in the world.....he surprised me with a 4 person private carriage for that Wednesday night! So thats what we did. We got all bundled up and went for another try. Only after all we went through I'm very sorry to say.......IT WAS NOT WORTH IT! $68 for a 4 person carriage that took 15 minutes and all they did was push the tip!! They asked us to tip our driver 4 times! She told us, the guy coordinating told us, it said it on the carriage, and the other passing carriage drivers even said it! Ridiculous! If you ask for tip you shouldn't get it! I was mad! So we ended up paying $78 for 15 minutes and so much for my tradition! I'll have to think of a new one!

Happy Happy New Year!

We had such a fun night on New Years! This shows just a little of it!
click for a Happy New Year dance from Parker!