Our Wonderful Life

I'm Baaaaack!

2011-07-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hi world (and to anyone who has dared to keep me on their blog site!) I take no offense to those who didn't :) It HAS been almost a year and a half!!!

Anywho, being that this is my first blog back from a ridiculously long break, I need to say a couple of things:

1. In regards to my prior post, THANK YOU for all who voted for Prop 100 (we were given contracts on the last day of school that year!). WOO HOO!!! I love my job...

2. Shortly before that school year ended, I had found out we were expecting...and on December 3, 2010, we welcomed our wonderful little boy, Benjamin Nash Dosil, into the family at 6:59 am. He was 6 lb. 13 oz. and 20 inches long...oh my, my poor son. This is the first official 'recording' of anything regarding him since his birth. I promise you my handsome little man, I WILL get better at that!

3. Since it has been so long, I do not remember how to post pictures and will require help from a fellow blogger to refresh my memory :) Any takers? I've got some really cute new baby pictures that need to be shared with the world...

4. I have 2 children growing TOO fast before my eyes- one starting 'kindergarten' (she's doing this early) and the other who has just cut 2 teeth within 1 week (ewww, I know).

Signing off for now (but not for too long)
Kelli

Civic Duty.

2010-04-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

This is for all you fellow Arizona residents out there who feel the weight of our upcoming special election...

I am highly encouraging you to

VOTE "YES" ON PROP 100

on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.

If you are not registered to vote, there is still time, you have until April 19th to do so!!!

This proposition will save hundreds (if not, thousands) of jobs for educators, support staff, and let's not forget the most important people affected...children.

Should this not pass, woe to our youth and their future. They will be packed like sardines in classrooms (and yes, this includes your future kindergartner, not just high school students), without supplies (unless funded by the teachers themselves who will likely be taking a pay cut anyway...), and without, or greatly reduced, support staff, special areas such as art, music, P.E., library, etc. Face it,

if this doesn't happen now, we are really only taking, no scratch that,

we are STEALING from our children's future.

I shudder at the thought of what Abby's classroom could look like one day,

unless action is taken and "YES" is the vote!

What a 'Hair-Raising' Experience!

2010-04-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

Umm...we brought the 80's back!

(all we are missing is a day-glo t-shirt, tight rolled jeans, and some Keds)

A Good Cry Always Wears Me Out...

2010-04-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

2010-04-07T22:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

What a cutie!

...and sorry this is a few days late (well, really a few months- 4 to be exact!) and I am not going to play catch up with the past four months, so...you can just ask me if you are dying for details about other events (although I may have to post on Kyle's New Year's Day incident...).

Anyhow, our day started out like any other Sunday. Got up, got ready, went to church...

...and were met with about 350 other people (doesn't seem like a lot, but our church is small, so it was a lot for us)! It was jam-packed, but it was great! Princess Abby was none too pleased to have to sit on my lap and insisted that she belonged in her own seat, but when I pointed out that no other little kids had their own spot, she relented. Well, the baggie full of teddy grahams, animal crackers, those little Oreo crisps, and well, let's throw in a vanilla creme cookie for good measure, helped a bit too ;)

Service was great, and a terrific reminder of God's great love for us! It truly is my favorite day of the year :) If you are interested at all in hearing the sermon, click on the link below:

http://podcasts1.stretchinternet.com/cglc/podcasts/feed.php

After church, we headed to my Aunt Cindy's house to say hello quickly before heading over to Nana Kate's house for a picnic at her neighborhood park. We were lucky enough to see our friend Edward (he was working) and Melynda even stopped by with Gabriel and Kiera to play in the park (and say hi to dad!) before moving on to their family outings. The kids had fun playing with bubbles (really, who doesn't?), running around, playing on the swings, and digging in sand.

Next we went home for a nap. Oh! But not before making it about 20 feet from Kate's house when Abby tells us, "I got my chocolate bunny open!" Are you serious?!?! All white?!?! I told Kyle to pull over and that girl had a blanket wrapped around her from neck to toes!!! The whole way home, Kyle and I were telling her, "Keep your hand high in the air Abby." "Don't touch anything!" Then Kyle tells her to lick her hand...

...oh, chocolate Easter bunny, you are not my friend :(

When we got home, the Easter Bunny had visited Abby and brought her a cool, new singing/dancing bunny and a pretty, new strawberry necklace. Pictures below are of her checking them out.

What? It sings AND dances!

It took awhile to convince her the necklace was for her, not the bunny.

After nap, we headed to Papa and Nana's house for an Easter egg hunt and some yummy dinner ;) We did watch Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakwel and Abby learned some verses to All the Single Ladies ;)

I'm already looking forward to coloring eggs and eating lots of yummy food next year!

Abby's first photograph!

God Bless, everyone! Love, the Dosil family

Getting Caught Up...

2009-12-07T22:00:00.001-08:00

Where does the time go? Out the window, under the rug, out with the trash (do you have days like that too?), just gone. Sometimes I get a little sad when all of the sudden I look back and think, "When did my daughter learn to do that?" or "How many days have gone by since I talked with my folks?" or even "Whoa, how did I get this far and not even know it?" my favorite, "What day is it?". Enough of my complaining, sorry :( Allow me please to digress a bit...

One of my favorite questions that I hear from people, "How can you spend 3 hours of your Sunday at church? Don't you want to be at home with your family?" Well...it is the only time that I know I have guaranteed to slow down and focus on something not me, or my husband, or my daughter, or my house, or my job, or the laundry that needs to be done, or the toys that need to be put away, or the emails/phone calls I need to make to my students' parents, or dinner that needs to be cooked, which always makes me think of the groceries I have to buy. It is the only time I really, truly give myself to let God fill me up, because shamefully so, I don't give Him all that attention as much as I should throughout the week, and I need to. He gets the backseat sometimes and I think it's easy for me to push Him there because I know He is going to love me know matter what and not give me grief about it. He's just waiting there for me to slow down and drink Him in. I love Sundays. Why can't we have 7 of them?

I know that amidst all my craziness and hayday is that, despite it all, I'm alive, I have a wonderful, seriously amazing husband who comes home to us everynight to eat and play and give baths and read stories (I love you hon!), I have a sweet little girl who melts my heart even when she's being a stinker and especially when she's having a wonderful conversation with me about her dress up clothes and what they match and ... this could go on forever, I have a home to come home to, I have an awesome job that I believe (aside from parenting) trumps most others anyday, I've got clothes to wear, my daughter has toys to play with, I love my students' parents so I don't mind talking with them anyhow, we have food in our pantry to cook, and money to buy the groceries that cooks the meals we eat. Yeah, I'm done complaining...thanks for walking me through that theraputic moment :)

We are blessed. I have some wonderful moments to share with you all over the past month with our family. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Picking out the perfect (little) pumpkin!

Hauling it away in the wagon ;)

Decorating with Mama.

Obviously done with the craft...she's now stacking markers ;)

The finished products. Abby's on the left, Mama's on the right

(she did draw the face on her's all by herself-eyelashes and all!)

Carving the big pumpkin with Daddy.The finished product.

Tinkerbell, Leonardo (I think), some football player, and another Tinkerbell.

Abby, Daddy, and Mama with Miss Spider.

She talked about that cake for months before and is still doing so now...thanks Hol!

A visit with Grandpa Kelly!

Abby helping me and Kyle (see below) make a pumpkin pie for

her preschool Thanksgiving feast.

Michelle (my awesome sister) and me on Thanksgiving.

All dressed up (minus shoes) for her preschool Christmas program.

Oh yes, she is the only one standing up throughout the entire show ;)

Papa got it all on film!

Getting a candy cane from Ol' St. Nick.

Abby with Mama PJ.

Abby and Nana Kate.

Papa, Nana Mary, and Abby.

Because Grey Matters.

2009-11-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that my father-in-law, Jim (Kate's husband), was diagnosed with brain cancer over 13 years ago, 1 year after they got married. Through many procedures, treatments, the help of amazing doctors and nurses at Barrow's Neurological Institute, rehab, and support from countless friends and family members, we were extremely joyful to celebrate Jim's current state of being- he's here with us today. What a blessing. Simply being.

The guest of honor, Jim, and Abby.

When my mother-in-law, Kate, found out about the Brain Tumor Walk held in Tempe, she jumped at the chance to invite as many people as she could to walk in support of Jim and those who are fighting their battle with Brain Cancer, and in memory of those who aren't. She also planned a lovely coffee hour at her home that evening, filled with yummy foods (see the cake below!), great fun, and amazing music sung/played by Kate, Gavin, and some of their dear friends who have been singing in coffee houses with Jim and Kate for a long time.

The cake.

Kate, singing "the Pal song" to Jim. It was incredibly touching ;)

Many of the people there have been there from the beginning of this long journey- sometimes disheartening, but also many times of triumph and joy and hope. I, for one, have only known this family as one that is surviving and growing in spite of this disease and the changes it has forced upon their dynamic. Having watched this family make their way through this, I am still utterly amazed, awed, and inspired at how resilient people can be and how really, no matter what, they rally around as much as they can, putting their faith in God that He will see them through.

Just some of Jim's many fans and supporters.

Nana Kate and Abby.

Kate and me, sporting grey.

Me and my wonderful family!

It was a wonderful night. A night full of hope, joy, thankfulness, and love. I am so glad that I was there to witness the love and affection everyone had for Jim. What a way for God to witness to us that He has a plan, one we may never understand, but one none the less. He tells that He never promised it would be easy, it would only be worth it. I just want to end this post with one of my very favorite scriptures, one that brings me so much peace and hope in God is this,

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." - Phil. 4:13

So it's been awhile...sorry :(

2009-10-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

I really would like to apologize for lapsing on my posts (there really is no excuse, but I'll try anyway...). We get busy. Is that good enough? Maybe not? How about, "I was trying to get ready for the 1st quarter to end, and be away from my classroom right before on a business day, plus taking care of a child who is now on her 9th round of croup."? You'll settle...I truly appreciate it ;)

To be honest, nothing super exciting or worthy of some magnificent revelation has happened since I last posted, but I'll share what I can rummage up:

1. My 29th birthday. It was a blast! We had some of our awesome and amazing friends over on Friday night and had yummy food and drinks. And I must give major credit to my darling hubby for organizing the treats with my girlfriends. You can see the beautiful (and delicious) cake my friend Holly made for me. It had daisies, my FAVORITE, thanks Hol!

2. Julian's 4th birthday. What a great kid to share my birthday weekend with! He had such a great time with all of his fun cousins and friends- pinata and all ;)

Me and my little cousin, Greggy- he's a firefighter in a far-off, distant land...

If you look carefully, you can see the worm my daughter spotted (it's to the left of her sucker).

Here is Julian, holding the worm ;)

This is Abby and Julian examining the worm after moving it halfway across the yard.
They decided he must not have been happy where he was before...

"Woo Hoo! You've got a worm!"

Abby & Maeleigh: These girls are trouble!!!

What's a little football when you are in HUGE yard!

Hello, down there!

3. Round 9 of croup with Miss Abby. Never fails, October weather settles in and I begin to count the days into the month until I hear that distinctive bark, I mean, cough... this time we made it 6 days into the month- woo hoo! Oh well, it doesn't scare me anymore, it really is a way of life for us throughout the months of October through March :( I woke up at 2:07am on the dot to one, count it, ONE barking cough and knew that we were in for it. At least it was before Fall Break and not during it so we could enjoy our time together more!!! This time, her doctor even prescribed a nebulizer for us to keep at home so no more trips to Urgent Care for a breathing treatment in the middle of the night- I am sure on some level you can understand why this is so exciting and such a blessing for us. If you can't, well, thank your lucky stars! So anyway, all of you gambling folks out there...Kyle and I are taking bets as to how many times Abby gets croup this winter. Is that terrible? Maybe so, but we need to find the humor in it somewhere...Please keep her in your prayers ;)

She wasn't too sure about this...

...but she's a pro now!

4. Fall Break!!! Does that say it all? It should ;) Sadly, I do not have any pictures of how I spent my first few days of Fall Break. It was amazing, seriously, I'm not kidding. I don't know if I have an illness in my head or what, but it is the one break I really look forward to because I know I get to CLEAN MY HOUSE!!! There is nothing like the satisfaction you get from scrubbing your house from top to bottom (except blinds and our 'junk room'- not touching that one with a 10 ft. pole without Kyle's help!). I did it all (again, with the exception of those said items listed above): baseboards, door frames, the faces of the doors, moved couches and cleaned the floors beneath them (oh how embarrassing it is when your husband asks if the dust you are holding in your rag is chinchilla hair- nope, just plain ol' dirt honey), moved some pictures around, donated a car load of stuff to Goodwill...I really could go on and on, but it is just simply beautiful, and SOOOOO satisfying ;) How long do you think I can keep my husband and daughter tied up to keep it this way?

I HAD to add a picture of my favorite cleaning agents!!!

(from the left: Holy Cow Glass Cleaner, Holy Cow All-Purpose Cleaner, Orange Glo- for wood, and my NEW favorite...Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day in Geranium scent!!!).

Tools of the trade: a small Clorox scrub brush, a microfiber washcloth, and a pet hair remover ;)

Anyhow, enough about my craziness ;) The 2nd half of Fall Break will prove to be more fun to 'normal' people like you- hanging out with the cousins, getting our ceilings textured (what? that's not fun to everyone?), and camping with our friends. I'll post pictures of that later!

Ciao! 'Til next time (which won't be this long...)

It was a BIG weekend for Miss Abby!

2009-09-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend was jam-packed with fun (and some work)!

On Saturday, Daddy and I built Abby's BIG, big girl bed (we called her toddler bed her 'big girl bed'). That, in and of itself, was a trip to see.

It was a true testament to my darling husband's patience- with me...

You see, one of my wonderful co-workers gave us their daughter's older bed when they bought her a new one. It is SO cool- it has a slide! Anyhow, from said reasons above, it did not come with instructions. We were on our own (cue the scary music)...

After getting one side all nice and tight, I took a look at it and sighed a heavy sigh, telling Kyle I believed we messed up and it needed to go on the other side. He didn't bat an eye (although he did mention that he thought we did it right the first time...) and got right to work switching the pieces.

Needless to say, after attaching BOTH pieces now, I stood back and looked at the puzzle of the bed and realized that I was wrong (remember this statement always, I don't usually admit when I'm wrong, especially in print!) and sighed an even heavier sigh than the one before. This time Kyle just looked up at me with knowing eyes, waiting for me to say what he already knew I was going to say. "I messed up. Sorry!" were the words out of my mouth. He just silently shook his head and started unscrewing things...

After a much longer time than needed be, here is the end result:

Abby was SO happy! I think that made it all worth it in the end ;) Thank you, honey, for being far more patient with me, than I often am with you. I could stand to learn a lot from you ;)

Snow Excursion (what?!?)...

2009-09-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

So our darling daughter, Abby, came out one evening last week, informing us that she was, in fact, ready to go to the snow.

And she was.

Well, almost...you see, she had almost all of the appropriate attire for snow weather: warm fuzzy hat, sweater, and mittens...and of course, pink, fuzzy slippers ;)

What she was missing was pants (which, when prompted to go get some pants on as well, she came out with these hot, pink shorts- at least they matched!) and of course, snow...

How do you explain to a 2.5 year old that we are in the middle of a SCORCHING summer, and we are in the middle of a desert? Thankfully, due to the minute length of a 2.5 year old's attention span, we were spared any tears or arguments as she quickly moved on to something else ;)

Please Pray...

2009-09-06T05:39:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry to have to even post this, but I believe prayer works and it works in numbers. I am asking anyone who reads this post to please pray for my cousin Dana, her husband Rene, big brother Noah, but most importantly, their twin boys, Liam and Reed, 4 weeks old. Both boys have been hospitalized recently with an unknown cause (last information I received) and they believe that Reed may have had a stroke, because he shows no movement on his left side.

No one could even begin to imagine the nightmare they are going through right now. I'm just asking with everyone to keep these little boys in your prayers...thanks.

What to do on a rainy evening...

2009-08-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

What? It rains here? Believe it or not, yep...then it gets humid ;)

So Monday proved to be a bit spontaneous in the Dosil household. My dear hubby is not what I would call a 'baker', although I'm sure he would disagree and tell you that his cookies from a tube are highly qualified enough to be considered real baking ;)

Shortly after he came home from work and finished dinner, I observed him milling around the kitchen. Not sure what he was doing, I figured he wasn't making any noise, or a mess, so I let him be ;) Then he started to ask me where things were. Things that belonged in cookies. So I went in to investigate.

Sure enough I saw that he had a collection of ingredients on the counter (although when he asked me what the difference in our two flours were, I noticed he had taken out the whole wheat kind and swiftly replaced it with the regular, white kind). I also noticed he had mentioned using our Smart Balance spread instead of checking for butter in the freezer...oh boy.

My darling husband, Kyle, getting it all together...

I moved in. So did Abby once she heard the word 'cookie'.

Abby and Daddy once she took her place in the kitchen ;)

Once she took her position on the counter (thanks Melynda!), she began helping Daddy make yummy, chocolate chip cookies. Since I was, of course, photographing the event, which it was (an event, that is) , I was not paying attention to Kyle's method of mixing ingredients- which is "Throw everything in the bowl at once, regardless of directions, and have at it." I made him scoop as much flour as possible out and follow the directions.

Mixing some of the ingredients together...

She's just too precious...

Rolling the dough into balls- a daddy habit ;)

Getting ready for the oven...

Licking the dough off her hands ;)

Man, oh man, guys don't like following directions, or being told to follow the directions- even in the kitchen ;)

Abby and Daddy's 1st homemade batch of cookies- YUM!

Intermission- getting ready for bed

Despite some minor recipe directions infractions, the cookies were saved and I must say, it really looked like he and Abby were having a good time! They turned out very yummy and it was an utter joy watching this fun Daddy/Daughter evening ;) Especially tasting their goodies!

Ready, set, COOKIES!!!

Umm...good ;)

Finishing every, last bite!

I love my family.

Happenings In Our Household...

2009-08-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

My darling husband and I have been living in our home for almost 4 years (Abby joined us almost a year after we moved in!) and in short, simple words, my dad has so eloquently named our house, "The Money Pit"- if you've ever seen the movie, you'd understand ;)

When we bought our home, we tore into right away, thinking we had lots of time (and $$$). Then we found out we were having a baby- YEA!!! Hmmm, I wonder if this is why I want to start finishing some of our many unfinished projects...disclaimer: the following statement is one borrowed from another Blogger friend- I.W.A.N. (I Want A Newborn). Can't help it...it's finally hitting me after almost 4 years ;) You can read her blog from my link, Life. Find it, she says it perfectly (thanks Shawni!).

Anywho...here's the list of projects either begun and not finished or ones that I just prefer to be done before we have any more cherubs joining us in the Dosil Domain:

1. Finish painting our master bath (completed 8/21/09)

2. Lay quarter round by the fireplace (completed 8/22/09)

3. Lay quarter round by the kitchen cabinets- only because I can't get new ones anytime soon...that's one of our last To Do's on the 'list' (completed 8/22/09)

4. Lay baseboards and hang a doorframe in the AZ room.

5. Hang a doorframe, and paint it, on our french doors.

6. Lay baseboards in all 3 bedrooms.

7. Caulk all the new baseboards.

8. Hang a closet door in the master bedroom- this one requires help.

9. Switch electrical in our laundry room to another wall- another one that requires help.

10. Take out a wall in our laundry to open it up, then repair the drywall.

11. Paint the laundry room.

12. Lay flooring in the laundry room.

13. Install shelving or cabinets (or both) in the laundry room/pantry.

14. Texture living/family room ceilings- again, another one that needs assistance.

15. Paint the above mentioned ceilings.

16. Tile master bathroom shower.

17. Tile master bathroom floor.

18. Install recessed lighting- paying someone to do that!

*19. Get new carpet in bedrooms- paying someone to that too!

*20. Laying pavers in the backyard- paying someone to do that as well!

*21. Getting new kitchen cabinets- we can probably do this ourselves (my uncle is a master carpenter), but it costs a lot, so it's officially last on the 'list'.

* items will likely not be done before anymore subsequent children. I'd be 45 before I got to have anymore if that were the case ;)

WHEW! I'm tired just typing this list out! Is it possible that this list going to change and evolve? Most likely ;) But, rest assured, while it seems as though we have a lot to do...I really just break things down into each step something requires because I feel MUCH more successful when I can physically cross something off my list. I do that with cleaning too. Doesn't it feel so much better to cross off, like, 10 things from a list of what you cleaned, rather than just "clean the house"? Um, I think so! I know it's all mental, but, well, I don't care ;)

Here are just a couple of pictures as we begin our many "fun" family projects. Enjoy and cheer us on!

Abby is helping us measure the base of the cabinets.

Here daddy is, checking Abby's work...

Abby gave up actually doing any work and moved on to supervising.

Not sure how she feels about it, but it seems as though she disapproves...

Weary...

2009-08-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the funeral of a student that used to attend our school. He wasn't my former student, but he was one of our "Big Buddies" in one of the 6th grade teacher's class. I remember him as a kid who just loved to have fun, and he was amazing with his little buddy- always engaging and playing on his little buddy's level.

His dad spoke the most today, and I must say, he did an amazing job sharing his son's life and legacy with us. It was really what we already knew about him- he loved life, loved to have fun, loved to laugh, loved to be a boy, and what his dad really stressed- he loved Jesus...at a time in a young boy's life when that might not be the 'cool' thing to do, this boy did. Wow.

As I sat through the celebration of this young boy's life, crying all the while, his dad talked about their family's struggle with the "Whys" of how this all happened. He said that all they could take comfort in right now was that their son is with God and somehow, someway, this would touch other people's lives in the most meaningful way.

All I wanted to do was go home and snuggle with Abby and drink her in...I believe for me, that is what memorials and celebrations of life remind me of- that I DO have Abby and Kyle at home and they are healthy and happy and beautiful. Sure, Abby's a stinker of sorts at times, but man, in the grand scheme of life and love, does any of that really matter?

What a heart heavy way to remind me of my wonderful life blessings. I've been told that as a teacher that there will be a time when I will attend a funeral, memorial, celebration of life, whatever you'd like to call it, of a student/s of mine...I cannot even imagine. There is nothing in all of the education you can receive that will ever prepare you for this. Nothing.

To you Logan, may you continue to make people smile from above...

I'm Back to Work...

2009-08-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

So it's official...as of last Monday, August 10th, I went back to work with some pretty awesome 5 year olds, diving head first into the new year. While I was a bit saddened at the thought of leaving my little girl with her new sitter instead of being home with me, just the thought of her making new friends and starting preschool brought me right back into the land of HAPPY ;)

One of the best things (in my 'highly valued' opinion- this is my opinion of my opinion) about being a teacher is that we have a definitive work year. We only have a limited amount of time with our students to do something with them, what a great challenge to embrace. And I don't just mean get them to pass the tests, meet benchmark goals, master grade level standards, and everything else we 'work' for...no, I mean we only have one year to make a lasting impact on their lives. Are the choices I make going to make it a good one, or not? I choose to push for the former ;)

I face every year (and really, everyday) with the question riding in the back of my mind,

"How will they remember me?"

I know that times have changed and curriculum has been pushed up to an even younger age (which I really don't argue, because I do believe young children can handle and even embrace it), but some of my most fond memories of kindergarten with Mrs. Kropen were the simple things like:

*playing in the kitchen center (check),

*reading stories in the library (check),

*recess with my friends (check),

*parent helpers (especially my dad and pumpkin pies) helping out (check),

*and having our 6th grade buddies come in to our class to read and do fun projects with us (check that too!).

I love my job (not just teaching, but KINDERGARTEN) and I have often told my principal that he will have to pull me 'kicking and screaming' out of it before I go to a different grade (have I learned that from my students?). But seriously, I'm just not done in Kindergarten yet, we have too much to do! ;)

Think back, what were some of your best Kindergarten memories?

Please share them with me, I love to try new things! Just think of how your great memory could impact some cool, little kid in my class ;) I'll even invite you in for a spin!

Taking it for granted...

2009-08-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

If any of you are paying attention to the time that this is posted, you'll notice that I'm awake and blogging at 1:30am. Sometimes things just can't wait. I waited too long to write in my pregnancy journal (which is probably why there are only about 4 entries!) and I often wait too long to say the things I want to say- usually out of fear that I may embarrass myself, or that people won't understand why I feel the sudden urge to say things to them.

I am blessed. Is my life what I thought it would be? No. When I was 5, I was going to be a firefighter. When I was 12, I was going to be an OB/GYN (who saw that one coming?). When I was 16, I had no clue what I was going to be. When I got to college, well, the rest is history...

Life evolves, sometimes into things we don't, and will never, understand, but it does. And it doesn't slow down and wait for us to understand. Nope, it just keeps going. But there are times, and I do believe in the mayhem and chaos that we create for ourselves, they are few, but nevertheless, there are times when we hit the pause button and reflect on ourselves. Tonight was one of those nights. Though I suspect it has been building for a couple of days now.

A week ago, I watched a dance choreographed to a remarkable song, titled This Woman's Work (So You Think You Can Dance). A flood of memories came back to the movie that inspired that song...and I realized something (it all came together after rushing out tonight to rent the movie). I take so much of my blessed life for granted.

my husband, who is as resolved as steel and hardly ever falters, supporting me every single step of my crazy ways
my mom, who is right around the corner, literally and figuratively, to help me in any way she can (even if it's to make chicken noodle soup late on a Tuesday night)
my dad, who has never doubted me and has made me live up to who he knew I could be
my step mom, who judges no one and does her best to be the best she can for us
my in-laws, for taking me in and loving me as one of their own
my sister, who, Lord knows, struggled with me growing up, but has become one of the very best friends I have ever had- I love you!
my girlfriends, who have seen me through all of my ugliness and heyday and stood by me through it all: boyfriends, breakups, makeups, weddings, baby, you name it!
my guy friends, who have also seen the ugliest sides to me and still love me no matter what: boyfriends, breakups, makeups, weddings (and rehearsals!), baby, you name it!
my health and those of the people I love...what more can I say?
my everyday heroes (Bob, Greg, Mike, Edward, Zach and all the others out there trying to make a difference in the world) who put their lives on the line everyday to protect us. I take it for granted that they have come home everyday after their shift is up. Thank you God.
my family, who is crazy, in love, spirit, and faults, for making me who I am today
my job and the families I meet, who let me in and let me create in their children something new
my friends who are far away, that still manage to reach me and let me know I'm important to them
my God, who gives me everything

I dabble with the idea that I am strong and know what I am doing with my life, and I'm sure in many instances I am and I do. But reflectively, I don't think I'm there yet or have faced whatever it is that I am supposed to face before I can really say I'm there. Sure, I get through my daily struggles and pay our bills and take care of a (sometimes difficult) two and a half year old. But honestly, God has been really, really good to me. I read a blog, almost daily, of a 5 year old who has struggled with brain cancer since she was 4. 4. She (and her family) is an inspiration to me. I have never even met this little girl or her parents, but I hope one day I get to. She has seen more in her little, fragile life than any of us could ever imagine in a lifetime and I thank God daily that she has come so far.

Not exactly sure where my ramblings are going...but how can one song lead to so many memories and so many thoughts? Not sure, and I don't know if I want to know. I like when things take me by surprise like that.

I guess that for whomever is reading this, you are a special part of my life. And I just wanted you to know...

God Bless! "I thank my God every time I remember you." Phil. 1:3

Fun at the Phoenix Children's Musuem!

2009-07-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

I love my sister and her husband, but man oh man, do I love their kids! I suspect a major part of that is because they are so darn cute and smart, but...I also suspect that it's because they include Abby as one of their own (which I guess she is, but you know what I mean...). We have a little circus whenever they get together- Mason as the ringleader, Maeleigh as the highwire act (lots of fun drama!), and Abby as the clown (or MC, she's pretty loud!).

Don't let this face fool you...

Oh yeah... where am I going first?

We seem to see these scary monsters wherever we go!

Me and Michelle decided to take our kiddos on one fun (last) field trip to the Phoenix Children's Museum. After finally calling Bobby to find out where it was (where we suspected it was all along!), we made it inside and found a fascinating place, filled with all kinds of things for children (and adults!) to spark your imagination and play!!! Not sure who had more fun, me or the kids? I always enjoy these 'trips' with the kids, even when the day usually ends in tears or drool 'cause someone fell asleep (and the former are the kiddos who SHOULD be asleep!).

This fun contraption made handkerchiefs blow through tubing and pop out in an unexpected place!

Loads of fun!

Here I am Mama!

You can see a small, white ball levitating to the upper left of Maeleigh's head.

When we say she walks to the beat of her own drum...

WAY harder than it looks! See below...

I thought he was going to kick me off. Nope, just wanted a pic!

Michelle may have made it about 6 inches, heading left ;)

Our little hula girl!

Although these three could have stayed at the same place the entire time we were there, they begrudgingly let us lead them on to different rooms after plenty of time had passed. Who would've suspected? They actually had loads of fun in the new rooms too! Every room presented the kids (and again, adults) something fun, challenging, or creative to do ;) It was a BLAST and I can't wait to go back again!

Coloring with these AMAZINGLY bright crayons!

Of course our friend, Manatee, joined us ;)

Sand on a lighted table, who knew it could be so much fun?

Uh oh, traffic jam at the carwash!

Getting 'washed'...

Almost done ;)

A game of Plinko, anyone?

This is where you could lose your child...you had better know what kind of shoes they are wearing that day. Can you see Abby in there?

Maeleigh and Abby, finishing an animal alphabet puzzle together.

Going grocery shopping...

Waiting in line for the checkout (it actually had a moving belt!)

Maeleigh did NOT want to sit in back!

VROOM! VROOM! Here I come!

While I am saddened that this will be my last official 'summer vacation' field trip post, I have spent so much glorious time with my girl and I am anxiously awaiting for school to start (Miss Abby starts preschool this year!) and see what new adventures she will go on...

Thanks for being so patient...

2009-07-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

A look from the pier.

I know, I know, I have a LOT of catching up to do...where DOES the time go? Well, it's about to take me back to my fabulous job of teaching kindergarten, so I figured I should really get caught up on my summer blogs before heading back full time ;)

First off (this blog) is our recent trip to the lovely San Diego, CA. This is an annual trip that my family takes with my sister, Michelle, her husband, Bob, their two awesome kiddos, Mason and Maeleigh, our mom, Pam, Bob's mom, Selena, and for a least a few days, Abby's Grandpa Kelly. This year we were also blessed to have 'extra' visitors- Moe and Sarah and our very missed friend, Ernesto (he is now a resident of San Diego full time).

Is this really how close guys get when they hang out?

The trip was amazing all over, even with the normal 'hold ups' a trip with lots of family and young can have;) One of the things that I do not have a picture of (and I am so sad about it) is the hotel room we stayed in the first night. Maybe you are fortunate enough to have read the story, The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, or maybe you haven't. In short, when I say that our first night was like that book, you'd understand. For those of you who have not read it, we were literally sleeping on top of one another, considering all of the luggage that had to be brought in from Bob's truck at night! I couldn't sleep, although it seemed to me as though everyone else was. There's just something ominous about hearing new breathing in a room with you at night when everything is supposed to be quiet. All I have to say is, thank goodness it was only one night!!!

Anyhow, the first official day of our trip happened to land on the 4th of July! What a fun day to be there!!! From the bay, we were able to watch what seemed to be 5 different fireworks shows- how amazing is that? Before hand, Moe and Sarah came to hang out with us and the kids had a lot of fun playing with Moe...we don't see enough of those two.

Abby teaching Moe how to color.

My awesome family on the 4th of July!

Of course we did our annual trip to Sea World, ALWAYS fun ;) The kids had a blast (and the adults too!). I love to see how excited they get over what seems like the silliest things: bumpy skin on a starfish, the pets show (even though they don't get that excited over their own pets), the icy cold arctic environment, MANATEES (pics didn't quite work out this year, after much screaming, we finally figured out that Abby was saying, "I do it myself!"- oh well, huh?), churros (that one is really for Aunt Chelley and Kyle), and the ducklings swimming around in our normal family photo op place.

The bumpy skin on starfishies ;)

They look very studeous, don't they?

Michelle, my mom, and me...I think we take this picture every year???

You can see the back of Mason's head between Bob's and Selena's

(he's getting so brave!).

There's uncle Bobby trying to keep everyone alive ;)

A little bit better...
What a beautiful family!

We spent a lot of time down on the beach. How could we not? The weather was absolutely perfect! I do notice that our load of beach stuff begins to slowly dwindle down as the week goes on because we cannot stand lugging it around day after day. How come we don't remember that every year at the beginning of the trip?

Our beach bum!

Look at these two cuties!!!

Here's Abby and Daddy saying, "Where'd our feet go?"

"Here they are!!!"

Grandpa Kelly, Abby, and Daddy

Abby REALLY wanted to go

boogie boarding...

I tried to convince her otherwise...

This is what we ended up with...

One of the best highlights of our trip was meeting up with my cousin Zach, our fellow Marine...not everyday you get to dine with a hero ;) We love him so much and we were so glad he got to take some time out of his busy schedule to hang with us. Thanks Zach!!!

Mason switched his outfit so he could match uncle Kyle ;)

Scary monsters- oooooh!

Me, our hero, Zach, and Chelle.

Me and my amazing hubby, Kyle ;)

Too cute for words!

Walking with confidence on the pier (not so much a couple of days earlier)!

Hope you enjoyed my recap and the pictures! Can't wait to go back...

Splashin' Around!

2009-07-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day to be outdoors! I have always believed that God works in wonderful, mysterious ways (big and little ones), but how He planned a nice, overcast day on the day we took a field trip to the Tempe Beach Park...well, gotta love Him even more for it ;)

This summer has got me thinking a lot about what Abby used to be like a year ago. I feel that my fearless, go-get-'em girl has been replaced (hopefully temporarily) by a much friendlier (really wish I had taken some pictures of the nice ladies she made friends with today), but timid, one. Maybe she is finally old enough to realize there are consequences to her actions? Maybe she doesn't feel the need for speed (one trip down the big slide was enough for her!)? Or maybe she is just learning to slow down and enjoy things fully? No matter what, better for her now, it took me 28 years to find the greatness in that!

So here are some pictures from our trip today...hope you enjoy!

Great weather + great friends + great places = GREAT FUN!!!

Abby & Gabriel getting a feel for the pad...I think they're liking it, don't you?

Abby is still having difficulties grasping the concept of looking AT the camera when she says "Cheese!"

What will happen if I step on this?

Whoa boy! She wasn't expecting it to change directions!

And of course, she found a ride on toy to play with. What kind of day would it be if not for a ride on a whale?

Cerreta's Candy Factory

2009-06-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting caught up!!! Yea! As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, my girlfriends and I decided that this summer we needed to keep our beloved little ones occupied (and exposed to culture) and go to some fun places together every week. Those days happen to be Wednesdays (no other appointments allowed Holly!). This week's field trip (oh yeah, teacher speak) was to Cerreta's Candy Factory. Looking back, I wish I had taken some pictures of the outside, but well, it's an old, brick building in downtown Phoenix- got the picture now? Thought so ;)

Addisen, Gabriel, McKenna, and Abby tasting some super-delicious, mint-covered, chocolate bars-

their samples are HUGE!

Abby really liked the milk chocolate creme covered in milk chocolate.

So they offer 'tours' at 10:00a and 1:00p, then afterwards you can pay a small fee to have your child make a chocolate pizza. They really need to rephrase (or redefine) what a 'tour' is. See, I thought tours were where you walk around in a group, like a bunch of tourists, seeing interesting things...you too? Yeah, not this 'tour'. We stood behind a short wall and listened to a lady ramble on and on and on, oh, and on about how they make chocolate. Great, except people might have actually retained some of that information had we been able to SEE what she was talking about. Enough complaining...once the 'tour' was over and the kiddos waited ever so patiently (really, they did!), they passed out all of the 'ingredients' and the kids got to work! It was SO cute and they had so much fun! Well worth the half hour 'tour' (although next time, I think I'll sneak in late...).

These kids held on to their 'Pizza Tickets' like it was the key to Candyland!

Here is Abby meticulously placing each M & M onto her pizza. Hmm, wonder where she gets that from?

Abby now believes chocolate is one of the major food groups, probably because she'd never been able to have that much in one day, let alone one sitting! YUMMY!!!

Just too cute not to share! I love it!!! That is her completed 'pizza' in the background.

Father's Day

2009-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this post a wee bit late...we've been pretty busy doing some fun stuff this week that I just now get to sit down and play catch up ;) Anywho, as most everyone does, we celebrated Father's Day this past weekend with a phone call to Grandpa Kelly (we miss you!), brunch with Grandpa Jim (forgot my camera-darn!), some family time at home with Kyle, and topped the night off with ribs and other yummy goodies at Chelle and Bob's (thanks for hosting!).

So I would like to say that the day went off without a hitch, but then I'd be lying... you see, I decided to do a cute craft and it called for spray paint. I should have learned from my friend Holly to be suspicious of spray paint that's been in the garage for a few years. Here's what happened to my hand (thankfully not my left one!)

Kyle said I looked like I was trying out for the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. But, after much time spent scrubbing and soaking my hand in nail polish remover, all was good ;)

I would like to give a shout out of praise to all the men I know, and love, that are awesome daddys! I love this day because I love to think about all of the amazing fun things I did with my dad growing up- building model rockets and shooting them off, building remote control cars, popping off those little baggies filled with gun powder (I assume that's what it was), spending lots of time at our grandma's cabin, and other copious amounts of memories!

Not to say that times didn't get 'iffy' between my dad and me (does that word really even justify it, Dad?). I mean seriously, a teenage girl and a grown man trying to understand her? That's why I tell Kyle that one day, Abby is going to realize just how much she really loves him (although I suspect she does now, she just doesn't know how to show it)- despite her current, angry shouts of "No toucha me, Daddy!" and "Let go me!". I really don't know if he hears too much else from her right now...

So, thank you Dad for teaching me what a great dad is supposed to be, and thank you Kyle for being that great dad to our daughter. I love you SO much!

Swim School Cake!!!

2009-06-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following WAY back to the beginning of our blog (you know, last week!), you'll probably remember the countdown chain we had for Abby's cake. Well, the day finally arrived. Today was our last day of swim school and as we walked up, Abby could not stop talking about, "I go under", and how nice Miss Kelly was (who really was awesome). I told her how proud I was of her and I hoped she had a lot of fun during her last day of swim lessons.

Abby walking with Miss Kelly back to the pool for more lessons.

She walked right into the water all by herself and then completed a full swim lesson with... NO TEARS!!! Way to go, Abby! To say this is a big deal for her is an understatement. I only hope that she always holds onto that excitement and pride she showed today when she realized she could do something, even while being a little scared. We do hard things everyday, of course they may vary with levels of difficulty, but we do- even 2 year olds ;)

Getting ready to 'swim' to the step all by herself!

How can you not be proud of faces like that? Way to go Abby & Maeleigh!

So here's to you my brave, little girl... here's your cake, I hope you enjoy! Love, Mama

God Sightings...

2009-06-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

This week is my very first time ever helping out with VBS at our church. I'm (officially) the Preschool Director (although I'm not sure how much I am really helping), but for whatever it's worth, I'm having a blast! I can't decide if it's just because I really do love to be at church or if it's learning all the fun, not-so-new, bible songs for kids (maybe I can sing something other than Jesus Loves Me with Abby) or if it's watching a group of people numbering near 500 come together to learn about God...either way, my life has been touched in a very special way this week.

The theme we are doing is from a company called Group and it's called Crocodile Dock. Anywho, the picture below is of Jacques Le Croc. I think he's like the Mickey Mouse of Crocodile Dock.

Well, why I felt the need to share all of this with you is because it leads up to the bigger story I wanted to share. All this week, the kids are looking for 'God Sightings'- basically anything that reminds them of God and His beautiful creation. They get to share these with each other and then at the end of the day they 'light' a candle (one of those wonderful battery operated flickering ones) to shine the light of God's love for us.

Here's Abby's (unprompted and very unexpected) God Sighting: I was giving her a bath yesterday and of course she was "SO COLD!" when she got out so I got her all wrapped up in her towel and snuggled up in my lap. It's one of my favorite times of the day, she's all wrapped up like a little baby again...I know ;) So I ask her who loves her (mind you, I'm fully expecting her to say Mama!) and she doesn't miss a beat, "Jesus!". Okay, that's sweet...but it gets better. I say to her, "Well, who else loves you?" (again thinking now she'll surely say me) and she looks at me and smiles before responding, "God loves me!" Seriously, how did I end up with this awesome little person? Just when I think she's done sharing all of her wisdom, she looks at me again and says, "God loves you Mama." I'm now melting...

Thank you Abby for reminding me of how simple it really is...

I love you girl!

Happy 1st Birthday, Makayla!

2009-06-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Abby's little friend, Makayla, turns 1 year old today! Hooray! We love her so much and we are so glad to have spent a wonderful year with her...isn't she beautiful?

Fun Times at the Phoenix Zoo

2009-06-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

As summer approached, myself and some girlfriends decided that in order to keep our sanity intact, and keep the kids busy, we should try to plan one weekly field trip together. This week's trip was to the Phoenix Zoo. As always, everyone had a blast (including us moms) and no one needed bandaids (or aloe vera- Holly).

Otters are very interesting creatures...especially if there had been any to look at in there!

What a great group of kids!

Upon arrival, I saw a bathing suit peeking out underneath Addisen's dress...what?!? Again, I missed out on that detail. Thankfully, I at least had a spare sundress in Abby's backpack...oops! So yes, that is my darling daughter splashing around in her dress while everyone else had good mommies that brought swim suits. Oh well, there's always next time ;)

These two always seem to find something very interesting (and small) to look at...

In spite of Monkey Village being closed because they were all at the 'doctor'-seriously, how else do you try and explain to a small group of preschoolers that their favorite exhibit is closed for annual vet exams? Shouldn't there be some kind of general public broadcast? Thankfully, however, there were no tears...but there were a lot of questions...

What a great way to end a great day! Thanks Aunt Melynda for the carousel ride!

So swim...

2009-06-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we've just completed our first week of swim lessons. Not quite sure how it's going, I believe the windy mornings hinder Maeleigh and Abby's joy of splashing around in the water :( Needless to say, swim lessons are a must (although next time we'll go for later in the day or early evening) so we try to get as excited as we can and put a merry smile on our face as we walk out the door.

Abby's been a trooper, she cries some, but again, I believe most of it is because she feels like a popsicle as she patiently waits for her turn with her teacher, Miss Kelly. She's been telling me all week that she "not go under water" and believe me, she is VERY adamant about that! Well, sorry to say sister, but Miss Kelly took her under 2 times today...even though she cried afterwards (both times), I was SOOOO proud of her! By the time we got home, she was smiling and she seemed so very proud of herself for going under water. She even called daddy and told him she went under 5 times (fibber!).

How do you teach your kid that we do hard things? Is there a right age? I'm not sure about this, but even at the ripe, old age of 2 1/2, my girl did it- she did something (maybe not willfully or purposefully) that she thought she couldn't do. She never ceases to amaze me and she is surely deserving of the 'swim school cake' I'm going to make for her and her cousins at the end of their lessons. *For those of you who don't know about the cake deal going on, Abby is obsessed with wanting a birthday cake, right now! Since I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand the logistics of a calendar, a 'swim school cake' should (hopefully) appease her for the time being ;)

This is Abby's paper chain of how many days she has left of swim school

(yes, that is a picture of the cake she wants!)

Summer Time Reflections

2009-06-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Some would say that as a teacher, summer time comes all too slowly. But I've always felt otherwise. When you have an AMAZING year like I just did, it comes all too quickly, and then disappears as quickly as it came! But I do love to be asked what I do on my summers off. "What do you do?" you ask...let me share: I do nothing and everything at the same time. Here are just a few ideas of my lovely, lazy summer days...
I sleep in as late as a 2 year will let you,
I stay in my jammies as long as I can,
I look forward to whatever vacations my family has planned,
I clean, cook, do laundry (you know, all the chores that don't stop when the school year does),
I clean up after my 2 year old (and maybe my husband too!),
We go on field trips to new places and old,
I drive to swim lessons (more on that later!),
and I play with my friends.

For the past 23 years of my life, I used to count down the days of summer, but then I realized that it took away from enjoying the days I had left. Then something grand happened. I had my beautiful girl, Abby. Having her taught me all about how to live in the moment, right now. I try to take time out of my crazy busy day to ponder, I mean really ponder, the important things in parenting like, How do I teach her to find the joy in the little things? How do I show her all that's out there for her to grab? How will I ever give her everything? How will she really know love, the way it's supposed to be? And then, when I stop thinking so much and let it sink in that yes, I need to be 'in parenting', I realize, this is why she's here. It's simple really. Simple. God has blessed me with this amazing little girl, not to teach, but to teach me, to humble me. She's here to show me the joy in all the little things like a bug in the driveway, a bubble floating through the air, or finding the letter 'c' on a cereal box. I see in her grand determination to master such skills as pedalling a tricycle or coloring in the lines, she is showing me that I have to go out there and grab all that life has to offer because it's only me that can do it. If she doesn't see that, where is she going to learn it (well I guess in a sense she already has)? She will have everything she ever needs because God gives us all we have ever needed, will I ever forget that? And as for love, well, one day she's going to go out there (where there is, I don't know and I'm not ready to think about it) and find it, and maybe lose it, but I hope she knows where she can come to whenever she needs her heart filled up.

So this is the beginning of my life story as to be told, summer time has just opened that door ;)