Up, Up She Goes!

It seems like Jolee grew several inches over the weekend! All of the sudden she looks taller to me and I even think her face is changing. I had her stand next to our growth chart, and she has grown 2 1/2 inches in the last 9 months. Jolee is already 1 1/2 inches taller than Macey was when she turned 5! Also, she no longer says she's "4 1/2 years old", she says she is "4 3/4"! I can't believe she will be 5 in 3 short months!

Parent/Teacher/Student Conference

Wow! Parent/Teacher conferences are so different now! Yesterday, Grady and I attended Macey's conference, which was led by her. The conference started with a Power Point presentation, which Macey prepared (she did all of the typing and chose all of the transitions). She pointed out her strengths as well as the things she wants to improve. Then, we moved to another station where she showed us the difference between narrative, technical, and expository writing. Finally, she showed us how fast she could complete math facts. She challenged Grady to a contest and although Daddy won, she did a great job. We are so proud of her!

What a Beautiful Day!

Last Saturday was such a beautiful day...70 degree weather, sunshine, the park, and Grandma! Tom & Judy came to visit this past weekend to watch Macey play basketball and to spend some time with us. On Saturday, Tom & Grady enjoyed the beautiful day relaxing at the golf course and Judy and I enjoyed the day at the park with the girls.

Oh, the Things Kids Say!

Emmy was wearing a pair of Kitty Cat ears around the house the other night. She would put them on, take them off, then put them back on again. Tom and Judy were here that night and the adults were having a conversation when all of the sudden we heard Emmy say, "I've got my boobies on", so we looked at her and this is what we saw:

A Masterpiece!

Macey's art teacher selected one of Macey's artworks to be shown at the Art Exhibit in our school district's District Office. The exhibit featured about 30-40 artworks by students in Macey's elementary school as well as neighboring schools in the district. We were so proud when we heard this news and couldn't wait to go see her art. Here is Macey's "Expressionist Animal" chalk portrait of a dog.

Emmy from the Block!

The other day Emmy wore this pink cap all day long. She wore it the right way most of the day, but that night she turned it around and put on her dress-up high heels (on the wrong feet, by the way). She reminded us of a mini hip-hop star! Yo, you gotta give props to my girl! Peace out homies.

Lunch with Macey

I had a lunch date today with Macey at her school. I was amazed at how much food they get and how little time they have to eat it. No wonder she is always starving when she gets home! It was a lot of fun. Macey's friend, Lauren, sat with us at the "guest table".

Today is Kansas' 148th birthday so the kids were encouraged to wear anything "Kansas". I saw cowboys, indians, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, several Laura Ingalls-Wilders, and lots of KU and KSU fans. Here are Macey and Lauren decked out in Mighty Purple!

Mr. Home Improvement

We have lived in our house for 5 1/2 years, and as of last week, we have painted every square inch of it (inside and out!)...some rooms painted twice! Grady's latest project was the girls' bathroom. It had carpet and blue walls...ugh. Now, the walls are a nice neutral tone and the floors are tiled. Grady did a great job laying the tile and had to use 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint to cover the blue walls. Needless to say, we aren't going to be doing any more painting for a while!

Over the past 5 1/2 years, Grady has also laid wood floors in our entry way and kitchen, built a shed that is attached to the back of our house, tiled our master bathroom floor, tub and shower, replaced the tile on our fireplace....and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head (I'm sure I'm forgetting some things). Here are some before and after pics of some of Grady's other tile jobs. He's my own Ty Pennington!

Fireplace: Before: cobalt blue tile (yes, cobalt blue)!

Master Bathroom: Before: carpet

Tub in Master Bathroom: Before: white tile that didn't go up high enough









Girls' Bathroom: Bye, bye carpet and blue walls!















Kitchen: Ok, Grady didn't do this one...

Having Fun in the Snow

Yesterday the girls couldn't wait to finish eating breakfast so they could bundle up and head outside to play in the snow! They wanted to build a snowman, but needed help from Daddy to lift the huge balls of snow and stack them up. However, when Daddy went outside, a snowball fight started. They were even throwing snowballs at me (I was inside taking pictures!). Thank goodness they took advantage of the snow in the morning because it warmed up in the afternoon and the snow melted. As far as the snowman, well, let's just say he's in the big icebox upstairs!

Trying To Stay Warm...

When we woke up this morning, it was -1 degrees...the coldest morning we've had in a long time! After breakfast, the girls had about 20 minutes to wait until they had to leave for school. We found them huddled around the heater vents, each enjoying a book! I'm proud of the fact they were all enjoying a book, but I don't know what I'm more amazed at...the fact that they were ALL quiet, or the fact that we actually had time to spare this morning!

Silly Girls

Emmy thinks it's hilarious that popcorn can stick to her tongue. Here are my girls being silly...

Bling, Bling!

I have been making jewelry for a few years now (earrings, necklaces, bracelets), just basic beading. It's been fun because I am a jewelry-aholic, just like my mom. Every once in a while a friend will ask me to make something for them or a relative and I really enjoy personalizing jewelry for them. My mom has also picked up the hobby and is doing quite well selling her pieces. She even has a table in a store in Colby where she can sell them!

I just learned how to make a new type of bracelet. I love learning new techniques. I've shared this design with my mom in hopes that she can make them and be even more profitable! I mainly do it just for fun...but I may need to get a bigger jewelry box soon! Here are some pics of the new pieces I've made along with a bracelet I custom made for a friend to give as a Christmas gift this year.

Big Shoes to Fill!

Ever since Emmy could walk, she has had a shoe "fetish". She loves to put on everyone else's shoes and prance around the house. The other day, she was wearing daddy's shoes and carrying around her favorite "Godchild" bear from her Godmother, Brenda. Here's our little Tater Tot.

Hello 2009!

I can safely say that 2008 was the fastest year to go by, yet. We had so many changes this past year. After 14 years with SW, Grady took a new job. Macey started basketball, got glasses, had to start seeing an orthodontist, and is turning into a young lady right before our eyes. Jolee started gymnastics, is going to school 4 days a week, is almost as tall as Macey, and has become a "dress" girl. Emmy is talking more and more, she's outgrowing her shoes constantly, and she already wants to go to school. As for me, I discovered my first gray hairs (Grady thought it was quite funny that I finally joined the club!), ran in my first 10k and half-marathon and have become a running "junkie"!

I know that 2009 will be over before we know it, too. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, but Grady and I have a few things we're going to work on. We are going to try and go to church more, Grady has a goal of running or walking 2 miles a day (everyday but Sunday), and I plan on training for a duathalon and another half-marathon this year. I wish I could slow time down and that the girls wouldn't grow so fast, but since I can't control that, my main goal for this year is to try to slow myself down and enjoy my time at home with my family. Happy New Year everyone!!