SchoolTube - LHTV Mar. 5, 2010

Okay, so I've failed miserably at pretty much all my resolutions, as evidenced by the two months that have passed since I last updated. But, here is my adorable Maiki in her TV debut at LHES. She was Student of the Day and was VERY excited.

SchoolTube - LHTV Mar. 5, 2010

Happy New Year... (a little late, I know)

Happy New Year!! 
Okay, so it took me a few days (okay a little longer than that) to get back on here, but at least I'm doing it!  It's only January 4 after all. 

Another decade has come and gone and wow, it is all such a blur.  Ten years ago, I was getting ready to take the Missouri bar exam, which I would eventually fail because my mind was a million miles away for reasons to follow.... I was looking for another job because I was working for a psychopath in Shawnee Mission....and most importantly, I was getting ready to go to Hawaii to get married to the "dude" I NEVER in a million years thought I would marry.  The years that followed brought our beautiful daughters, our son and several moves - some good, some bad.  And, it has all come full circle as I sit at home, working part-time, looking for a job, or at least trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. 

The past year has been a painful one for us.  Like many people before us, we faced foreclosure and eventual bankruptcy, not because of a bad mortgage...just a really bad house.  I also decided to quit my job in a market where tons of people are unemployed.  I was faced with a decision of losing myself, or losing a paycheck, so I chose me and my family.  But, that decision has not been an easy one for us to adjust to.  The girls have had to change schools for the third time in three years and we are renters again.  Another change was that our beloved Pastor at First Christian was forced to resign, leaving us with a tough decision to move on from the church we have attended for so long.  Finally, Mike has also had to face some demons this year, something that has taken a toll on everyone.

In addition to turmoil and change, we have lost people along the way.  My Grandfather, a good friend Rudy Arellano lost suddenly after an aneurysm, another friend Melanie Miller who died at 38 of a heart attack....very troubling and a reminder of how quickly life is flying by.

So, when faced with my new, and hopefully better year, I have resolved many things, some standard, some new.  1)  Like many others, I still need to lose some weight and get back in shape.  This was made even more apparent after the death of my friend Melanie.  2)  I resolve to try and find a job, or at least make enough on my own to try and take some of the burden off of Mike.  3)  I resolve to tell my little family that I love them every day, because you truly never know when it will be the last.  4)  I resolve to finish reading the Bible cover to cover by tax day.  5)  I resolve to get our finances in order so that we are never faced with the challenges of the past year again.  6)  I resolve to find a new church home.  7)  I resolve to get together with friends, other than my little family, at least once a month.  8)  I resolve to keep up with my BLOG and pictures so that I am not scrambling next year as always.  9)  I resolve to keep my house clean.  10)  Finally, I resolve to live each day to the fullest that I can, and I will TRY not to be so concered with the little things that drive me nuts because ultimately they really just don't matter. 

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. 

The Sleepover

The girls finally got to have their very first "official" sleepover. They invited over their best friends who are also twins - Madison (R) and Morgan (L). Maddox thought this sleepover was great. He was obsessed with Morgan and followed her all night. He couldn't understand why she would not cooperate with him when he called her name, or why he couldn't be a part of all the big girl games! Here is a photo of the next morning...Maiki was in a "mood" after the evening of no sleep and getting up WAY too early, so she wouldn't stand for the photo.

The twins' little sister Olivia came over the next morning to play for a while. Maddox gave up his obsession with Morgan and turned his affections toward the smaller one. :) Above, he ponders what he can do to make her love him...

Here, he rubs her back and gives her a little smooch. Unfortunately in photos, you can't see how she reacted. She squirmed uncomfortably trying to get away from him. Oh, that boy is going to be trouble!!! Never thought I would have to have the inappropriate touching talk at age two!

Halloween Fun...


Well, after a little mishap or two with getting everyone together, Halloween ended up being a great time for all. We met elise, Ruthann, and my mom and dad for dinner at Buffalo Bob's in downtown Lawrence. Evidently, we missed the bulletin about the start time, however, because by the time we were done, everyone was out of candy and the Halloweeners were thinning out.

So, we said goodbye and hit a local neighborhood for some more loot before heading home. The girls and I watched Amityville Horror, which is not quite as scary these days, I have to admit. They both pooped out pretty early, but we all had a really good evening. I'm sure the next dental bills will show it!

PUMPKIN CARVING!!

Okay, so the first few were a little botched, but we soon figured out which parts to actually cut out, and which parts to leave. I love this time of year... pumpkin patch, the farm tour, pumpkins galore and chilly weather (good for big fat-hiding sweaters!!) The girls, as usual, have been having a lot of fun with picking costumes, going to parties, and carving pumpkins. Here are a few of our creations. Maddox wasn't too sure about the slimy gunk, but he did like the knives. Keeping him out of them was next to impossible.

Everyone is looking forward to the festivities tomorrow night!!