Friday, June 19, 2009



The water fights at Buffalo days were a blast!
We had a good time. We walked away loosers but we gave it our all.
I dont look too bad in a fire suit! lol

SNAP IT


Stacy, Steve, Julie and Jill


Alyssa and Aunt Julie

Snap...


Julie, Stacy, Jill

Photography is very popular with the young and old. Cameras range from the super fancy to the throw away cheap ones. I love to take photos and scrap them. My kids know that I always have my camera ready for that special moment. Although I am quite the picture girl, no one compares to my sister.

Jill loves to snap photos of herself and anyone close to her. I don’t mean people have a special meaning, I mean distance. If you are standing with in reach of Jill, you will be forced to smile for a picture. She then views the photo on her digital camera and if it is good of her; you’re done. But if the photo is not up to her liking; another photo will be taken. You do not get the option as she only truly cares if she looks good. Very true and we all love her for her honesty. She then will post them on face book for everyone to view. But don’t worry as it is a private site where only her closest 500 friends can see them.
So when you hear the famous saying “a picture says thousand words” this could be absolutely true if that snapshoot wasn’t so great of you! So beware, if you see Jill, get ready to smile.



Friday, May 15, 2009

Can you say NO..
I have been swamped in every direction with questions I want to say NO to but hesitate and then guilt myself with why I should or shouldn’t do it. I beat myself up and ponder it over and over. Some things should be easy to say no to. But I am a pleaser by nature and it comes by very hard to do.
Remember when you were little and asked for something and your mom said, "We'll see," it was always better than a flat out, "No." Much like “maybe” it feels like it could happen. “I will think about it" gives you hope when you ask for something.
These types of responses are a nicer way of saying “No” and are easier to hear than the actual thought going through your head. It is hard to say no, and much easier to brush off the question with a maybe.
I am a MAYBE abuser. I use it all the time. My son pointed it out to me this week that I never say YES right away. It got me thinking why I do this. Is it that hard to say No or Yes to a direct question??
As a mom, my kids are always asking questions which in return would make me add more to my to do list, so I find myself using theses responses instead of simply saying NO. I want to be involved and please them but time is a huge factor in today’s time or lack of time. My schedule is already so packed with the activities there is no room for much more…
I hate to hurt my kids feeling and make them feel bad! It is also reality (Larry’s favorite word) that we cant say yes to everything but using these push off responses gives them time to forget the request or desire. lol
Being an avid book reader, I found this book by Mary Byers, "How to Say No ... And Live to Tell About It." I haven’t started to read it yet but I hope it can teach me something. She is a great author and very funny. I see her at a Christian concert in Wisconsin a year ago.
I will let you know how it goes. But until then I will try to be more firm with my answers…doubtful!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009





















Little bunny Fo Fo hopping through the forest….

Collins class trip was in Princeton was to the conservation center on the out skirts of town. Actually they should have told us it was swamp land and we could have come prepared with old shoes or boots on. This took place in a large pasture adjacent to the woods. After 3 days of non stop rain the place was a mud pit! Of course when you put 500 kids in the mud you get muddy kids! They were pushing and stomping through the mud and it was quite the scene. Not one of us came home untouched or clean.
The sun came out and started to dry things up a bit.

The presentation for the day was wonderful. The kids learned about wild life, natural habitat, fish, turtles, mud, types of dirt and electricity. There was an art center where they made necklaces out of wood and rolled acorns in peanut butter for the birds.

Recycling and the Teepee (Indian facts) were the last events of the day. The kids love the races with garbage and the facts about Indians. They got to hold and pet baby wild life. Collin fell in love with the bunnies. The possum was a bit disturbing as it crawled on the handlers neck and licked her.. Uugghh… Way to friendly for me! But the facts were enlightening and who couldn’t love a baby coon? They were adorable.

The day was a bonding experience with my son and his class. The kids were all well behaved and enjoyed being away from school. Actually they probably learned more this day than they did all last week in school combined. Fun facts are always better to absorb!

Field trips are so much fun they should have them a few times a year!


5Th grade class photo

Tuesday, April 7, 2009


















Take 10 minutes out of your day and do
something childish... immature... impractical.
Here's to the kid inside of all of us."








Monday, April 6, 2009

Party Time!




The Fireman draw down was Sat night and we all had a very good time suportting the cause. Jill brought her camera and snapped several shots all night. Some good some not so good...

We all had way to much fun and suffered some ill health the next day for our over indulgence. The band was great as SLOW TUESDAY entertained us with music.

It is good to kick it up every once in awhile to prove to yourself that your not to old to dance and laugh it up.