Family News...

First of all, Happy Belated Birthday to my sister, Nancy! She has been busy with her house this year and recently added a beautiful waterfall to her backyard. She also had a new retaining wall built at the same time and you can see that in the background. I am sure she will really enjoy both! These pictures were taken the day the landscapers finished the pond, so she plans to add some other things to finish the look.

I am sure if you are readers of Kelly's blog you know our baby Clare turned one and is starting to take a few steps here and there. Go Clare! She is still such a sweet baby!

Grace will soon be starting "school" one day a week. She is also in the midst of potty training and doing pretty well.

Reese started Pre-Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. She goes to school in the morning with her mom and afterwards she gets to go into Kristy's Third Grade Class for the last 45 minutes of Kristy's teaching. She even has her own desk with the 3rd Graders!

Ryan is at a new Daycare this year..."Mama C's House" as he calls it. He wasn't sure at first - not having his big sister with him - but made friends quickly and is enjoying his mornings there, too!

Holly's House

Great Room

Master Bedroom

Kitchen

Our big news is that Holly is house-hunting! She put an offer on a house about 4.5 miles from ours - between her two sister's! There is new laminate flooring downstairs and nice carpeting and new vinyl floors upstairs. There are three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a huge pantry and big walk-in master closet! It's freshly painted and very neutral - just what she wants! The master is very big and the other 2 bedrooms are nice size, too. The outside needs a little landscaping, something she's excited to do. We haven't heard back from the seller, but hopefully it will go through. If not, there's more out there!

I Know Where I Stand...

Today I watched Reese, Ryan, and Grace for a short time. When I walked in the house, all 3 kids started yelling "Hi, Grandma!" but Grace went a little farther. She ran across the room, saying, "I love you, Grandma! I love you! I love you!" and flung herself into my arms.

Then, as she gave me a huge hug, she added, "can we go for a ride in your new van?"

Not even 2 1/2 yet - it starts early!!!

Brooks School Park

Kristy went back to school last week and we helped out with Reese a few days as the teachers had to go a couple of days without students. The Friday before, though, we had both Reese and Ryan and took them to a park near our house. Ryan - aka "no fear kid" - ran straight to things he could climb on while Reese was a little more cautious.






It was such a pretty day and even Grandpa enjoyed the playground!

Isn't it too early for school to start???

I'ver Been Tagged!!!

I've been tagged by Jen to do this:

Three things...

...THAT SCARE ME: snakes, snakes and snakes!!!

...I LOVE: my family, my country, my friends

...I HATE: snakes (I had a bad experience as a child), hot, very humid weather,
having to watch what I eat and exercise

...I'M DOING RIGHT NOW: typing this, listening to Stan getting something to
eat and the television in the background

...I CAN DO: alot of different things a little: paint, sew, scrapbook, play
piano

...I CAN'T DO: alot of things really well! I am a jack of all trades, a master
of none!

...THAT ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS: noodles, ice cream, cookies/brownies

...SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID: Mickey Mouse Club (yes, they had it back in the 50's),Lassie, The Lone Ranger, Sky King, Roy Rogers

People I'm tagging to do this on their blog: Debi D and her daughter, Dawn

Grandma's New Ride

Out with the old...

and in with the new...

...and yes, they are different colors. The old Grand Caravan is a beige/gold color and the new one is silver. We have been talking about getting a new minivan for quite a while, but it seems like we never found the time to go look for one. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, we took a couple of afternoons to go scouting around. After looking at several, we settled on a Town and Country with the Stow and Go Seating (where the rear seats all fold into the floor.) It has many cool features along with the all important DVD Entertainment Package.

I remember shopping for the Caravan, back in 2003, I did not want a DVD player. I had seen many families driving down the highways with kids entertained with cartoons. I thought, "what happened to playing games while driving? What about "who can spot the UPS trucks first? (an old family favorite) or the ever-popular license-plate game 0r singing the National Anthem?" My girls read books in the car while on long trips or slept!

Then I became a grandparent!

We did get the Caravan with a DVD back in 2003, only because it was actually least expensive due to the package we got versus a van without one. When Reese came along in 2004, we had only used it a few times for trips to Fort Wayne or Hilton Head. When Reese was nearly one, I started playing a Care Bears DVD in the van and she was hooked! That child's eyes never moved from the screen! The summer of 2005, our family went to Hilton Head and Reese rode in the van with us. On the way home, a nearly 15 hour drive with a 15 month old, it was Elmo all the way. For those of you who are familiar with Elmo, you know the show starts with Elmo saying "Hi, I'm Elmo and this is my friend, Dorothy. Say 'hello Dorothy'..." to which the screen pans in on Dorothy, the goldfish, swimming in her fishbowl. Dorothy is a real fish, so she never talks, of course. Well, Grandpa Stan, after listening to about 10 solid hours of the same Elmo DVD, finally said, "WHY DOESN'T DOROTHY SAY HELLO?!" Joel and I started laughing and said "because she's a GOLDFISH!" Anyway, it was funny at the time!

The DVD player has become a favorite with not only Reese, but Ryan and Grace, too. They love riding in "Grandma's van." Grandma loves taking them, too!!!

Happy 30th Birthday, Kristy!

Kristin Marie at 1 year - July 1979

Kristy walking into house for her Surprise Party. Holly is on the left and Stan in the background.

The Birthday Princess - courtesy of a crown picked out by Reese at the Party Store!
Yummy cake from Marsh!

Even Baby Clare had a good time! Don't worry, darlin' - next Saturday is your turn!

The kids anxiously await their cake!

The two Power Wheels - the Jeep and the John Deere Gator - were big hits!






Yes, it is true! Kristy celebrated her 30th birthday today!!! My, where do the years go and how can we now have two daughters 30 and 32???

Holly and Kelly decided it would be fun to throw a Surprise Party for her, so with Joel's help, they successfully pulled it off! Holly, Kelly and Kristy went out for a late lunch and did some shopping at the new Hamilton Town Center at I-69 and Exit 10. While they were gone, Joel, Stan and I got the food ready and the house decorated.

Luckily, one of Kristy's neighbors, Jen, offered to watch the kiddies so we could get everything ready without having to watch them, too! Thanks, Jen!!!

When the girls came back, Kristy was surprised by the friends and family there. The food was yummy and a good time was had by all, as they say!!!

If You Give Your Grandma a Camera...

She is going to take a lot of pictures of you....

when you're eating...

with your hands up to your mouth....

your sippy cup to your lips...

and when you are just being silly!!!

Then, you are going to realize that some day these pictures may show up in a graduation video, or worse yet, at your wedding reception someday.... So you'll pray...

that no one will ever see these pictures and hope that the only pictures Grandma takes are cute ones from now on!!!

Ryan, Clare, Reese, Grace, at our House, Christmas 2007

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Post idea from the Triple Threat Blog...adapted from the book by

Laura Numeroff, "If You Give a Pig a Party..."

My Stan the Man!!!

Stan with his signed game ball.

Everyone who knows my husband definitely can tell where his loyalities lie in
Professional Baseball. Named for St Louis Cardinal Star, Stan Musial, my husband has been a life-long Cardinals fan. Two of his biggest thrills were when he met his idol, once in 1988, here in Indy, and several years back when we were in St Louis.

Not only does he love to watch baseball, but he also enjoys playing softball.
Several years ago he joined the "John Marshall High School Softball Team," the Patriots. Most of the team is comprised of John Marshall High School Graduates from the Class of 1969, the first year of JMHS. The joke is, Stan graduated in the"Class of '68" from Churubusco, not John Marshall. He is the "old guy" on the team - along with one other Class of '68 player.

Some people probably think that living in a city you would not stay that connected to your classmates, but this group is an exception to that rule! They have stayed together for nearly 40 years, not only as classmates,
but friends as well.

Anyway, while the Patriots play two nights a week, Stan only plays on Thursday, due to a Church committment every Tuesday night. Last Thursday, he had a great game, hitting a triple AND catching a ball at first base, worthy of a major league player! The guys on the team now call him "Albert (Pujols) the Man.

After the game, the guys secretly signed the game ball and presented it to Stan, which is not ordinarily done. He was definitely their MVP that game, but he is the MVD (Most Valuable Dad) in our household everyday! Way to go, Stan.