A week of Thanks and Fun.

A combine in the parade of lights

Our Christmas Tree is up and Grace requested a picture of the lights all blurry.

Cole, just hanging out.

I was trying to get a cute picture here, but Jenni was having none of it :)

The Wizard of Oz's Munchkin land at Henry Ford.

It's Dorothy's house that landed on the Wicked Witch of the east.

In Greenfield Village, Grandma in Grandma heaven!!!!

"Hey, we can climb that!"

"Hey, we can fly on that!"

My Brother made a new friend!

Cousin's in front of the Christmas tree! (Sorry bad picture, I didn't have my flash on! :( )

My favorite picture of them!! -Sitting in a train engine, watching out the window to all the people down below!!

**First, I would like to apologize for my horrible grammar!! English was always my worst subject and I hope I never have to help my kids with English homework! My head works a lot faster then my fingers, so sorry:)**

Monday we started off bright and early with Grace's conferences. She is doing wonderfully well, she is growing that brain of hers exponentially! So, I did what I should do, I gave myself a pat on the back and high fived Ryan.

Tuesday and Wednesday we cleaned the house and prepped for Turkey day. We were having the Henry family over for the second year in a row. Yes, it took two days to clean. Have you seen the two tornado's that live in my house?

Thursday we ate, watched football, and took naps. Everyone took a nap! :) We even did a little bit of shopping after our second dinner ;)

Friday we headed to The Henry Ford museum to meet up with Dave and Cole. Ryan stayed home as it was his last day of vacation for the week, so we let him have some quiet time :) So my Mom, myself and the girls went and had some girl car time.

When we got to the museum we had a blast, the cousins got to run and play and they had so much fun together! We then were eating lunch and noticed people outside in the Village with no coats on. We made an impromptu visit to Greenfield Village and walked around in the unusually warm November sun. I was a spectacularly beautiful day!

Saturday we put up the house decorations. The tree with lights and the girls wanted to put on all the ornaments, so as you can imagine, the tree is only half decorated; the bottom half of course! I have no desire to change it either, they are way to proud of themselves. Then we went out and they picked out their ornaments for the year! Grace has a gingerbread man or girl collection going while Jenni, is of course collecting bear ornaments.
Then in the evening the girls and I headed down to Blissfield for the parade of lights. They drive tractors and cars and such down the road all decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. The girls loved it, Grace's loved Miss Michigan the best because she was a real princess. Jenni and I liked the marching band.

We had a RAD week and a FANTABULOUS weekend.

But she is still my Mom.

Oh Yeah, Grandma sneaking the good stuff!!!!

She is in Grandma heaven!!

Grace likes when Grandma does her hair!

She hates airplanes, but she went to the airshow and hung out in the hanger with Jenni!

My favorite picture of her ever!!!!!!!

She is cute, even with a bug on her glasses. We were camping in June!

Grandma and Jenni in April watching Grace play soccer.

Grandma with the girls at the science museum.

Grandma with Jenni when she was little!!!!

The camping Grandma!

I don’t even know where to begin to tell you about my Mom. She is my (enter any word here!)

My mom is of a rare breed, she is wonderful and I wish everyone knew her. I hope someday I am as much like her as I can be without having to like the color baby blue :)

She was a single Mom for 9 years, I have no idea how she did it, but she persevered and did it! She sacrificed so much for my brother and I, I remember her working two jobs just to get it done. She sent me to private school so I could get the best education I could. I didn’t apply myself, something I regret now, but she afforded me the best opportunities and for that I am forever great full. She was always my biggest and often my only cheerleader at my sporting events. She is still cheering me on when I play softball in the summers, she sits in the bleachers with my kids cheering “Go, Mommy go!”

Our lives together have always been up and down, I am sure she would say I was a great kid. We would fight because I wanted to do something like go to Cancun for spring break, she said no, I got mad. We would laugh together over stupid jokes. She shared in every heart break over a boy with me. She hugged me when I was yelling at her, because she just knew it would calm me down and get me back to my sane again. She never gave me a curfew, because all my friends had one, what was I going to do after they went home? I never got grounded, we always just had a “talk”, deep talks!

The best is that my Mom has turned into a Grandma who is bonding with my girls the same way she bonded with my brother and I. My girls are NUTS about her. She has a special table for them to sit at when they come over. She uses a teapot to pour them warmed up chocolate milk into their fancy glasses. They eat ice cream out of an actual ice cream dish, now that is fancy! They watch movies and play puzzles. Grandma sings bedtime songs, way better than I do. She can’t beat my story telling though :) She calls my house and asks to talk to them, like I am not even here. She takes Jenni to lunch once a week, yes I go to, but I am just a chauffeur.

This weekend I came down with strep and tonsillitis. I was SICK!!! My mom offered to take the girls so I could rest. I took that offer! She kept them all day for me while I stayed in bed. My Mom never had that option when we were little, a lot of girls I know don’t have that option now. I feel guilty sometimes for having this option. This glorious, wonderful option that it is.

I became a Mom, because I knew that is what I wanted to be. I wanted to take care and raise babies into good people just like my Mom did for me. What I have come to realize is that when I became a Mom, my Mom became a Grandma and she is relishing in her new role and taking full advantage of it. She is reliving my brother and I through my two girls (sorry Dave, you are a girl LOL) She gets to have fun with my girls while I get a break to be me. She is doing this more for me then for herself, because it is something she never had. Most of what she does for me is something she may have never had and wants to give that chance to me, this is why she is an extraordinary Mom!! I know she LOVES being a grandma, but she is still my Mom.

She is my Mom, and I hope I grow up to be just like her. I held her hand in the mall till I realized boys might see it. I stopped holding her hand, I know I broke her heart that day. Now though I will always hold her hand and never let go, I am proud of her and what she has done and continues to do for me and my family. I hope I am half of the Mom to my kids as she was to us!

Traffic Lights

At Grandma's house helping with leaves, after having played in them first of course!

Taking the leaves to the burn pile.

One morning waiting to go to school.

This is what daddy does on his days off!

Helping like a big girl!

My life is a lot like a traffic light.

Sometimes it is just full on green, go go go! Drop Grace off at school, go grocery shopping, get home unload all the food, make lunch or a snack for Jenni, take a nap. Wake up from nap, get Grace from school, get home, make another snack. Start cooking dinner, eat dinner, play with the girls, bath time, get ready for bed, read a book or 12 then sleep.

During nap time is where the yellow light comes in. I do a lot of my photo business work on the computer. It is my work/me time so I have to divide it out and get housework done also.

The only time the red like comes in is when I am actually at a red light, while driving in the car. I don't know any Mom with kids that gets to stop. We are constantly thinking about our kids, even if they are not with us. I hope Grace is making the right choices at school, saying her please and thank yous. It's a never ending cycle that will just start all over the following day. Being a Mom is no joke.

Sometimes I need a little motivation to get the green light going, and sometimes I have to force myself to turn the yellow light on. BUT, the girls will always be going and growing, so there is never any time to stop. Unless I stop myself to give a kiss, take a hug or even sit down and watch Toy Story for the 1056th time, those are my yellow light moments that I love the most and will always carry in my heart!

Halloween, CHECK!

This is what Grace picked out at Toys-R-Us as her Christmas present from Aunt Denean and Uncle Doug! A princess and the frog musical instrument set!

Jenni chose a Strawberry shortcake Berry Cafe set. I think she likes the red hair :)
Thank you Aunt Denean and Uncle Doug!!!

Jenni fell asleep while eating dinner. I didn't want to disrupt her so I just help to reposition her.

To this, I just thought her arm would be more comfy up here. She slept for about 20 minutes!

Grace and Grandma have a very special bond as Grace was the first grandchild. So in order to make up for this Grandma calls Jenni once a week and invites her to lunch. Really, she calls her, not me :(

She found my glasses! I think she makes them work!

Even though I look preggo, I assure you I am NOT. It's just the stripes!! (HAHAHHHAAA) After all, look at how huge those two monsters are in front of me!!!! And YES I am holding bear bear who is wearing his own costume. He is a MSU fan (he is in Jenni's old onesie!)

This week was once again nothing short of a little crazy. We celebrated Halloween, a fun holiday which is becoming more and more stressful. I think next year I might just skip the shopping for costumes and buy all the candy myself. This way no shopping for hours to pick a costume and not footwork to trick or treat. Yeah right, like I would skip Halloween, it my favorite damn holiday!

The girls picked out their own costumes. Jenni wanted to be a crayon. Oh, I suggested other things, like a cat, a cowgirl, but she was determined to be a crayon. As for Grace, she wanted to be Cinderella. Do you know how much a real Cinderella costume costs?? Me either I was so afraid to look, so I went with the store brand version, which she actually liked better, because the skirt lights up!

Now that it's time to take down the Halloween decor :( I have about 2 weeks and then its Christmas decor. This is the time of year where everything gets really crazy and hectic and I would rather just curl up into a ball and stay home with my girls. This is also the time where they are happy and excited to see all the pretty lights and the excitement in their voice is joyful and hilarious. I can't wait!!!!!

Christmas, Football and Books, Oh, my!

Jenni and Melanie coloring with markers on "Christmas".

Grace is a chalk-a-holic ;)

My brother and my nephew playing.

Q: How do you wake that up?? A: You don't. You go get the camera and take a picture!

Jenni "reading" her book! So cute!

The girls at the football game! GO SAINTS!

This year my Dad's family decided to have Christmas in October. Weird? Yes, but my Grandma goes to Florida every winter and didn't want to have to come home to the cold, freezing weather of December in Michigan. So the whole family came, minus a few of my cousins who play hockey and one is in a band. We were very lucky to have it on a beautiful sunshine Saturday! It was the best Christmas, because we got to go outside and play football and run around. When is the last time you got to do that on Christmas in Michigan???? The girls were very blessed to get some wonderful gifts, clothes, toys, giftcards and a talking doggie toy. They love the dog, I try to hide it, but they always seem to find it :(

Monday night the girls and I went to the Siena Heights Football game. They were sooooo excited! I knew it was going to be chilly so I brought winter hats, gloves, coats and a blanket. They were asking so many questions "who is are guys?" "Why did he say that?" (the announcer) "Is it time to go home?"

We left at half time as it was getting colder then they could handle, and we had school in the morning. They were troopers about the game and they want to go again, YAYYYYY Mommy might have a few football players after all! Until Grace asked on the way home "Mom, maybe next time I can be a cheerleader for the saints?"

Jenni and I went to the Library one day, we spent about an hour or so in there playing and making fun crafts. I love the Library! I got a few books out and then I let Jenni pick out her own book. She picked her book out, we read it when we got home and after I read it to her three times (yes, three times in a row). After that she learned to "read" it by herself. Its not a hard book, but its one she loves and I am sooooo proud of her loving to "read". Now I just have to pry it from her while she is sleeping to take it back :)

Playing Catch-up and 6 Years!

I really do exist! My mom made me do it!

Grandma and her girls go apple hunting.

For whatever reason, this is just funny to her!

She was a happy girl.

At the apple orchard :)

The girls wouldn't smile, so I had to help that along a little bit ;)

Ryan wants to know what the hell he got himself into, Jenni and Grace just want to quit taking pictures already, and I am just trying to get everyone to smile!

Awwww, Daddy loves his little monkeys!

6 years ago we started this! :)

Grace and two of her cheerleaders, the one on the right is a co-op teacher at her preschool too!

So I am sorry I have been missing lately, Friday seems to be crazy and hectic around here. So hectic I had to buy a bigger planner to carry with me. Between Grace's school, Ryan's work, my shoots, and my Gammie's Dr. appointments, I was running out of room in my tiny little pocket calendar.
Have no fear I am thinking of a day change for the bloggity, I have to confirm it with my planner though first.

So you have missed a lot since last. Grace had a final cheer performance, she was a superstar. Although I am not a big fan of cheerleading, I see where it can give her confidence in being in front of people. I can also see where it is good for her in the memorizing of cheers and motions. I am just not so sure I like the short skirts and make up. We will still be pursuing other avenues of course, she still asks me when she can play soccer again!

We also went to the annual appleumpkin festival (a local fall activity here, and yes I spelled it right) with Grandma. We picked apples, went for a wagon ride, saw some farm animals and did some serious shopping. When we got home, we made an apple crispy thing. It was really tasty! If you ask the girls how the days was, all they will tell you is how Grandma lost her apple cider when it fell off the wagon ride. The damn thing wasn't even open yet :(

We also took our family photo. This is something that Ryan and I do every year around the time of our anniversary, when our family began in 2005. As tomorrow is our 6th year of marriage we feel so blessed and loved to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives to have helped us along on this journey. We have two wonderful and beautiful daughters, who complete our family of 4.

I am a very blessed girl. I have a husband who loves me, pushes me to do what I want, and works his a$$ off for our family. He loves his girls and even plays dolls with them! (I might get in trouble for saying that)

I have a mom, who when I call her totally stressed out, she calms me down and says, "ahhhh yes, I remember those day." She lets me know I am not alone and that she went through it too, and then she tells me how I drove her crazy! For some reason its much better when I did it to her, but not so much when my kids do it to me :/

I have friends who understand that I have to cancel plans because a kid is sick, my husband had to work later, or just let me vent my potty training issues on them. I love my friends!

6 years ago, I never thought we would be where we are at, but I wouldn't change one thing! Not one thing on how we got here, for it has made our families story just that much better. I have no idea where our road is going, if it is paved, or really curvy, but I am ready and more excited then ever to follow it where it goes. As long as I have my husband and girls in the car with me, I know I am ready for anything.