I can't load my photos...

I have so many photos to post...but I can't get my new computer to take them...JEFF claims he is going to help me today!! Ian is about to lose his upper front tooth..he is really upset...wondering if he is going to look like all the other kids...with those big teeth in the front...and one grows in by all by itself while the other one waits to grow in...yea...you are going to look like that Ian.
While Ian is loosing teeth...Jade is getting teeth! She has one the bottom. She won't let me look at it or anything else related to her mouth so I can't tell with the rest.
She STOOD UP ON HER OWN YESTERDAY AND TOOK A COUPLE OF STEPS!!! She was able to balance herself long enough not to fall...why...why...why???? Why do my kids walk so early??? I wanted a baby that wouldn't even want to walk until about 14 months!! She is only 8 1/2 months!!! We are off tonight for a "date night" enjoying some sushi, but we will also be stopping to get an indoor playyard for Miss Jade!!

Happy Birthday Amanda....18 years old!!!

I am in total disbelief....as I was putting Jade down tonight, I just can't believe Amanda is 18 today. We had a party for her and she got lots of cool stuff...yep...we got her the Northface coat she has been wanting...Ian kept telling her it was a blanket...pretty smart on his part. Anyway, it just seems like yesterday that she was born...I can't believe it!
I still remember what I was wearing when I held her for the first time...and my hair...too bad I still don't have that getup...it works today...oops...I can't fit in it anymore!
It makes me realize all the more how quickly times goes by...Jade will be 18 in the blink of an eye...I just hope she sleeps all night by that time...if she doesn't she will get kicked out...hey she will be 18!! Seriously...it made me want to stop time and just hold on to this moment...I don't want anything to change...it is all to good!!
Amanda is and always has been very special to me...she used to spend every weekend with me, go on all my first dates, and she was just my all around sidekick for many years...she is great! We prayed tonight that her heart would always stay with the Lord and that she would bring others to know him and accept him. We thanked him for her talents and gifts that she has been blessed with in this life. Happy Birthday Princess...it just seems like yesterday you were born and now you are a wonderful women that I couldn't be more proud of in a lifetime!!
(she has now moved on to be called..."Queen"...Jade is now the Princess)

Goodbye Sweet Dutchess.....

When does life slow down?? Does it ever?? I thought I would have so much time with Ian in school and seriously my calendar is so full...poor Jade she rarely has a day at home with just me. She is growing so fast...she is starting to crawl...ugh! I think she will be walking by next week...she is pulling up in her crib and on our coffee table...only to be taken down again and again by her mother! She is so much fun and has added so much to this family...but let me tell you...she wears me out...I think that is it...but maybe it is that I am up by 6:00 everymorning on don't sit down again until at least 9:00 p.m.
Ian is loving school and we are so happy. He has so many fun friends!! He is really enjoying his school and learning so much about not only school subjects ,but the Bible. We are amazing how much he knows already...those little brains just take in the info!! He is starting his Spanish again in January, he is starting basketball in January, and he is going to take piano lessons. I am making him do the bb thing...he wants to only do golf and tennis, but he can start that in the Spring.
I posted a photo of Amanda and Dutchess...their dog. She passed away this past week. She died naturally at my moms house right before the Bradley game...she had been sick for awhile...I had the pleasure of covering her up and wrapped her in bags to take to the funeral home...yep...the funeral home. You don't have to take them to the vet anymore the funeral home will take care of things...my mom now has her ashes at her house. I didn't want to be the one to tell my sister/Amanda, but of course I am sobbing and Amanda calls me..I am thinking she is calling about the dog...she isn't. She gets all upset wondering why I am crying and can't talk...oh..the drama around here. Anyway..Dutch is gone and she passed peacefully at the age of 12.
Amanda has picked her college!!! I can't say it yet until she verbally commits which I think she will do this weekend. Jeff is out of town and will be back tomorrow...that is it here...nothing...I got nothing...more.

Make my day....or just scare me to death...

Jeff is home again!! He has been out of town since Monday afternoon...we knew he would be traveling alot with his new job, but he loves his job so it is well worth the travel...to prepare for this we got an alarm system at the house...the place is rigged like the US Mint...it has alarms all over the place...to many for me. Anyway, to make a long story short he goes...

Jeff leaves town
I watch the news after kids are tucked into bed
I hear about 2 escaped convicts...not like shoplifters...I am talking rapists..real sickos....so too speak
I get it in my head they are coming to MY house...I check all doors again and recheck alarm...
I think about bringing Beau inside but with all the rain his paws were muddy and it was late..
I go to bed only to be awakened by...YEP..the ALARM!!! It is 4:30 a.m. and those two men have made it into my house!! I jump up and get Ian...Jade is already with me...I slam the door..lock it...get the GUN...and I am ready to shot who ever comes through that door...the alarm is still telling me FAULT...FAULT...meaning someone has opened a door.
I am standing there waiting and I glance back at these two little faces looking me...with huge eyes!!
I then remember...call 911...I go to the phone and it rings...it is the alarm company...I answer and tell them my husband is gone....someone is in the house...they then tell me...ok...stop...it is your pump in the basement...your basement is flooding....a wave of RELIEF...I don't have to kill someone tonight....whew!
I head for the basement expecting the worse...it was fine..the pump was broken and needed to be started manually...
I thanked them...reset my alarm...and went back the bedroom...Ian and Jade were fasted asleep. I put the gun away..craweled under the covers and stayed away the rest of the night/morning.....Ian woke up and asked about the gun.. if I killed anyone...no not today....I answered back.
Thank goodness for the alarm system...I am getting a keypad put up in my room so I can see all the faults and were they take place...the chances of that happening again are so slim...we got a new pump put in by the way...and both of those guys are back behind bars...lucky for them they didn't come here...it could have gotten ugly!!!

Jade turns 6 months....

Jade...Jade...Jade..

We can't believe that she has only been with us for 6 months...not counting tummy time. She is full of life and smiles!! She wakes up with a huge smile EVERY morning...I think this has made getting Ian ready for school and out of the house by 7:35 a.m. much easier for me. She loves to be in the Baby Bjorn and watch people...she is always looking at people and studying them. She is quick...she grabs everything...I have to keep a close eye on her. She LOVES Ian...everytime she looks at him she laughs....her laugh is great! She also wears 12 month pants because of her length...she has to have the waist taken in on her pants, but 6 month pants are capri pants on her!!
She is loud!! She babbles often and it is loud..some think she is upset..no...she just likes to talk loud..she loves to stand up...I don't know if she will crawl. Ian bybassed the whole crawling thing and was walking at 9-10 months...I am thinking she will do the same...I hope not...but she has a mind of her own.
She has only been here for a short time ,but she has brought so much life/joy to this family...she is such a blessing!!!
HAPPY 6 MONTHS JADE!!!!
Oh, yea...and she is so darn cute...I forgot to add that....

A relaxing day at the lake...this past weekend we had my nephew Grant for the day...Jeff thought it would be fun to take the boys out to the lake for some fishing and looking around for deer...I thought it would be fun to ride along and enjoy the peace...Jade was at my parents house...I was so wrong

Jeff and the boys had other ideas...I was trying to enjoy the view...peaceful lake..etc..but Jeff had a supply of M80's and was blowing up everything in site...pumpkins, empty formula containers,etc. The boys loved it...I did get to see some deer run out of the woods because they were scared....we saved them for the hunters that day. Ian loves it here and claims he will build a house out here and just fish and hunt when he gets older....we dropped the bomb...you need to ask Jade...what...Jade...yea...it is hers also...no problem...they will just live together...

Homecoming week at Metmora....

This has been such a busy week..in fact...I am out the door in 20 minutes to do lunch duty at Ian's school...and than off to the parade..hope the rain STOPS.

Grandpa and the grand kids playing and watching Amanda run cross country...

Amanda after 3 miles stops by to give hugs to her cousins...she looks fine...but next time we will take before running..she was sweating...I mean "glowing"

Just seems like yesterday she was the freshmen attendant and now she is the senior attendant...how time just zips by us so quickly...

This is not her date for homecoming..they had the crowning ceremony last night...this is the same guy that she was with when they were freshman attendants..I need to dig that photo out and look at the changes in both of them...

The dance was getting ready to begin...I had to show these "kids" how was done back in the day...yep...I had to pull out a few moves...luckily I had just showered and put my ointment on so all the joints were loose..just kidding...I actually just went home after this..freshman year I stayed and danced the night away..I knew my night was only beginning...sweet Jade was waiting at home for me to dance the night away in her room. Amanda did assure me that she will be at all of Jade's events..you know because she will be 34 years old when Jade is 17!!!!! Amanda didn't get queen of the dance, but she got runner up. It was weird not seeing her "win" like always, but it was a good weird if that makes sense...the girl that won is a really sweet girl so it couldn't have worked out better and I had already told myself if Amanda didn't win I would give her the North Face jacket I got her for Christmas early as a runner up prize...it all works out...because I couldn't have kept that jacket until Christmas!!!