Black Friday...

Black Friday is quickly becoming one of my most favorite days of the year. I first got into the early morning shopping routine 5 years ago, but am getting it down to a science more and more as the years go on. The last 2 years, I have even been able to convince my best friend to join me (thank you, Tammy). This year, the key stores I shop at opened up even earlier than in the past, so I was able to get in, get my items and get out earlier than before! And thankfully my parents took the kids overnight for me until Friday afternoon so I didn't have to worry about rushing too much. Our first stop was Toys-R-Us. Tammy and I got there at 6:30pm on Thanksgiving night and managed to be the top 30 people in line. Even though they weren't scheduled to open until 10pm, they started letting in groups of 20 at 9:30pm. Our group was in and out of there with everything that was on our lists by 10pm!

Tammy and I trying to stay dry and warm from the terrible weather...

We were joined by my friend, Ramiah...

And then Amanda and Sara...

After leaving Toys-R-Us, it was on to Target to wait in line until they opened at 4am. We got there around 10:15pm, and surprisingly still had 50 people ahead of us in line! In order to stay warm, we rotated every 45 minutes with one of us sitting in the warm truck while the other held our spot in line outside. However, somewhere around 1am we both ended up falling asleep, me in the freezing cold and Tammy in the warm truck! It wasn't until 3am that I finally woke up completely frozen!. And to top it all off, not only did we find out it was a waste of time because the "door buster" camera in the ad that we both wanted wasn't even in stock prior to Black Friday, but I also wound up with pneumonia! Total injustice!

Tammy and I huddling together to stay toasty outside of Target...

Although we weren't able to get the camera we both really wanted, we did manage to get some other great deals and were checking out 25 minutes after walking in the door. Now that's good teamwork! And even though we were both exhausted, we mustered up enough energy to head to Menards at 4:30am to wait in line outside again until they opened at 6am. Talk about a long night!

Me, as snug as a bug in a blanket, outside Menards...

Tammy trying to smile in-between teeth chattering... 

Again, we split up once the doors were opened and each got the items on our lists within minutes. And again, we were standing at the register to check out within a half hour of walking through the doors. We did so well that I was back home and in bed by 7:30am, with 75% of my Christmas shopping done! Quite an improvement from the last few years. I hope to become even more efficient in future years. That is, if I can talk Tammy into going again :) 

I'm Thankful For...

"Give thanks in all curcumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18

~ My Father in Heaven. A forgiving and merciful God, who has blessed me abundantly with more than I could have ever imagined.
"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7

~ My 4 precious angels, Andrew, Austin, Aaron and Alexis. They are my reasons for living, whom God trusted me with to raise in His image.
" Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation."

~ My nurturing parents, who raised me to be the woman I am today. I will be forever thankful for their love, faith and encouragement in me.
"If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your chiildren the greatest of all blessings."

~ My sisters, Megan and Patty. I was the lucky one to be the middle daughter and have both an older sister to look up to, and a younger sister to show the ways. Their love and support has meant the world to me over the years, and I only hope as the years go on, our bond only becomes stronger.
"To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident; it is to have a soul mate for life."

~ My friends, old and new, who have been there through some of my toughest times and I am grateful for their encouragement and support to help get me through. especially my best friends--Tammy, Arlene, Pamela, Ramiah, Heather and Sheri.
"A best friend shares the good times and helps you out by listening during the bad."

Little Artists...

For Thanksgiving, Andrew's and Austin's art class usually does a project of making a turkey painting using their handprints. I figured this year I would start making it a yearly tradition at home for Aaron and Alexis (and the extra kids I watch), too. So, this morning, I busted out the paint, brushes and paper, and let the kids go to town.

Aaron and Connor getting started...

Aaron being very precise...

And doing a great job...

Aaron showing off his Turkey...

When Andrew and Austin got home from school and saw the paintings hanging on the fridge, they were a little disappointed they weren't able to paint with us. So, after dinner, I got all the supplies back out and let them paint the evening away.

They definitely used their creative minds...

Austin making his painting very colorful...

Andrew painting his little heart out...

Austin's Ocean picture...

Andrew's festive Turkey...

Bittersweet Month...

The last two months have been extremely busy with a lot of weekend traveling. As I was leaving town again this past Saturday, it dawned on me that I have only been home 3 out of the last 8 weekends. One of them was Halloween weekend, so that kept us hopping all around town. I will admit, the majority of the weekends away had been planned far in advance, but the last 2 were completely unexpected. It's also odd at how different the dynamics were revolving around them. Last weekend I was out of town celebrating the birth of my new nephew, and this weekend I was out of town honoring the death of my uncle. One weekend filled with hope and happiness, and the next filled with sympathy and sadness. Don't get me wrong -- it is nice spending time with my extended family, I just wish it could be for happy occasions only. I know it's all a part of life, but like I have said many times before, I just wish life would s-l-o-w down! Here's hoping that nothing else unexpected comes up for a while, because I am traveled out! Also, I am ready to stay home and enjoy these sweet little faces...

Bye Bye, Blankey...

After many attempts to break the bond between Aaron and his favorite blanket, there has finally been success! A few weeks ago, Alexis, Aaron and I made a quick trip to Sam's club, with his blanket in tow, of course. At some point, he dropped it in the store. Well, he didn't mention it until after I loaded all the groceries into the car and buckled both him and Alexis in their car seats. So, I put them back in the cart, and we headed into Sam's Club, again. We retraced our steps and searched ALL over the place. I also asked someone at customer service if it had been turned it in. Nothing! I gave them my name and number in case someone happened to come across it, but I was sure by how beat up it was, someone would easily mistake it for garbage. Afterall, he'd had that blanket since he was a baby, and slept with it every night. It also went with him everywhere and was getting quite tattered!

It kept him all snuggled up in his swing at 6 months...

And acted as a pillow for his head at age 1... 



It kept him comforted during his first hair cut...

It celebrated his 2nd birthday with him at Jungle Joe's...

And still helped him have sweet dreams every night...

That blanket enjoyed a motorcycle ride with Papa Krim...

And came to the pumpkin patch with us every year to pick out some great pumpkins...

It also helped Aaron collect candy each Halloween night...

And even enjoyed a nice afternoon of sledding with us one winter day...

Like I said, it went EVERYWHERE with him! However, he surprised me big time that first night, and went to bed perfectly fine without it. Sure, he did ask where it was and if we could go back to the store one more time to look for it, but I said no, and that was that. There was no screaming, no crying, no fits! I was so proud of him for being such a big boy! A few days later, I finally got a call from the store saying they had found it and I could pick it up whenever. I honestly thought about just leaving it there and saying good riddance since he was clearly doing great without it. However, I did go and pick it up. I brought it home, washed it, and put it in his baby bin. It's now safely packed away with all his other precious baby items I couldn't let of as he got outgrew them. I look forward to the day, years from now, when I can sit down with each of my children and look through their scrapbooks and bins and revisit their childhood with them. Here's hoping they're just as sentimental as their Mom! Next up for him: potty training! Wish me luck!!

A Star is Born...

My sister, Patty, and her husband, Eric, welcomed their first born child this past weekend. Finnegan Jackson Ralya was born via c-section on November 7, 2010 at 3:07am. He came into the world weighing 7lb 3oz, measuring 21in. long and looking absolutely adorable!

The road to this pregnancy, and little Finn being born, was quite a long and complicated one for Patty and Eric, but they are so overjoyed at being his parents, that I know they would do it all over again for him in a heartbeat.

New Mommy...

Proud Daddy...

Papa's & Nana Krim's hearts melted the moment they met him, too...

First time Grandparents, Tom & Darlene, were overjoyed...

So precious...

I was excited to finally get my hands on the little guy (even though I had to wait until 5am and was super tired!)...

Aunt Megan made the drive up at 6am to catch a glance at her very first nephew...

The best aunts Finn could have ever asked for...

Boy Meets World...

After intially meeting him fresh out of the womb, we all thought it would be best to go back to Patty and Eric's house so they could get some sleep and we could freshen up. All of us had been up the ENTIRE night waiting for Patty to deliver, and were exhausted by the time we left the hospital at 7am. It was especially worse being daylight savings time and gaining an extra hour of staying awake instead of sleeping. When we went back to the hospital that afternoon, we were able to meet up with my neices and get some great cousin and grandkids pics, although only half of them were there.

My parents with Audrey, Courtney, Andrew and Finn (just missing Austin, Aaron, Alexis and Savanna)...

Finn's cousins absolutely adore him...

Andrew holding him for the first time with Uncle E's help...

My neices, Courtney and Audrey, holding their new baby cousin...

Seriously, they couldn't get enough of him!...

Surrounded by love...

Welcome to the family, Finn!

Mother/Son Night...

Every year, the boys' school throws a Mother/Son night. Last year it was bowling at Airway Lanes, so this year they opted for a K-Wings Hockey game. We went with my best friend and her 2 sons, and then met up with my neighbor and her son.

Me with my two little guys...

My big helper, Andrew...

 My little cheeser, Austin...

The boys showing off their souviners...

Our group...

Tammy and her boys...

Jessie and Zach...

Our gang of boys...

Slappy...

The boys getting autographs...

The boys enjoyed watching the fights game, and are already asking to go to another one. It was a great night, and the K-Wings ended it with a victory!