♥ Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ♥

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Race for the Cure 2009

Today we celebrated my mom and her 8 1/2 years of surviving breast cancer. The turnout was amazing at this year's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in KC. The Komen website said that there were 28,500 people there...how awesome is that! Every year more and more people show their support for this cause that is very near and dear to me. This year was extra special because my whole family participated! Jolee's little legs were very tired at the end, Macey was tired, too, but Emmy managed to take a little snooze in the stroller. After the event, Emmy was full of energy and ran most of the way to the car...about a mile away!

Mom, we love you and thank God that you never gave up HOPE!

The back of my mom's shirt read: I race in celebration of ME! 8 1/2 Years. Congratulations to all survivors. Do not give up hope!

Crossing the finish line! Way to go!

2009 Survivor picture...

Future 5K runner! Go Emmy!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Say Cheese!

Today was picture day (probably one of the most dreaded days of the year!). I must admit, picture day with a 2 year old OR a 3 year old have never been pleasant! Macey and Jolee were doing a great job listening to the photographer, but Emmy DID NOT want her picture taken. After leaving the studio once and then finally coming back, Emmy eventually warmed up to the camera. The only thing that would make her smile was talking about her birthday party that is coming up. She was talking about the pink frosting and purple sprinkles she wants on her cupcakes. We ended up with some very cute pictures, after all. I'm telling you, that photographer earned her paycheck today! :)

Out of all of the pictures of Emmy by herself, we got ONE good shot...and it is ADORABLE!...but, I'm saving that one for her birthday post. Enjoy the pics. And, Grandmas and Grandpas, you'll have copies of these soon!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Macey's Sunflower

Back in May during her school field trip to the Ag Hall of Fame, Macey learned about the Kansas state flower and the many uses it has (seeds, oil, etc.). She planted 5 seeds in a plastic bag. Three of them sprouted and we planted them in the back yard. One of them thrived and here's how big it is now!

From this...

To this...

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Daughter & Mommy Time

Macey and I enjoyed a special day, just the two of us. We took a road trip to Topeka and watched Rhonda coach her twin daughters in their Girls Fastpitch State Softball tournament. We watched 3 games and had a blast! The ballpark was located right next to a gorgeous lake. Between games 2 and 3, we had a couple hours to wait, so Macey and I took off to explore the lake. We saw that paddleboats were available to rent, so we rented one and took it out on the lake. Neither of us had ever been on one, so we were both a little nervous for the first minute or two, then it was GREAT! It was so relaxing spending time in the middle of the lake with my big girl. She was spoiled all day long...everything she wanted, she got! It's so nice to have days like that!

Rhonda and I...one of my best friends

I absolutely love this picture! Look at the pure happiness and relaxation on her face... :)

Love you Sweetheart...

Friday, July 17, 2009

Ahh...The Lake

We were invited by a friend of mine to a really pretty private lake in Lawrence. It was a beautiful day, weather in the 80's, and we had the beach all to ourselves. All of the kids had fun and Grady and the girls even got some fishing in. The fish weren't biting, but it was very relaxing and Macey became a master at casting her fishing pole!

Emmy was afraid to go near the lake at first, but by mid-day, she was saying, "Don't call me Emmy, call me Dolphin!". Jolee and Macey had a blast jumping off of the dock with their inner tubes. And I soaked up some sun and enjoyed the family time. I forgot how peaceful and therapeutic the lake can be.

Here's Emmy being a dolphin...

peek-a-boo!!

Jolee on the BIG slide...

views of the lake...

here's Macey, the Master Caster!

sweet face...

building a masterpiece!

having lunch on the beach...

Emmy taking time to smell the flowers...

Ems on the dock...

Jolee casting her line...

two peas in a pod...

Monday, July 13, 2009

An Apple a Day...

Just a cute little video of Emmy. She was so proud of the fact that she can eat an apple like a big girl...and the peel, too. She is so funny!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Pool Time!

Here are a few shots of the girls enjoying the pool.

4th of July & Happy Birthday Max!

This post is a week late, but, better late than never! We had a great time with our neighbors celebrating the 4th of July. The kids enjoyed their fireworks and, for the first time, Macey didn't hide in the garage!...she actually lit some herself!

And, our oldest child, Max, turned 10! Happy Birthday big boy!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Off They Go!!!

Video clip of Jolee:

Last night we took the girls to a park that had a big parking lot so Jolee could practice riding her bike in an open area. It is so amazing what a little confidence can do!! In just a matter of minutes, Jolee was zipping around the parking lot. She even mastered starting and stopping all by herself. The video above is a clip of her tonight. Tonight she looked like a little pro! We are so proud of her!

Video clip of Emmy:

Emmy has been riding her tricycle for quite a while. But last night, we thought we'd get out her big girl bike with training wheels and see how she'd do. By the end of the night, she was riding it all by herself. The video clip above is of her riding tonight. She said that she was going to work! And, as you can tell by the video, she is very proud of herself (as are we!).

Video clip of Macey:

Macey has always been a dare devil. Lately, she has been doing more and more tricks on her bike...everything from standing up on the seat to riding with no hands. The video clip above is her "statue pose" trick. She cracks us up!!

Dialogue with Emmy

"I love you with my most loviest heart."
Whenever she finds a coin on the ground she says, "Look! It's my lucky day!"
"Once upon a time there were 2 little girls: Mommy, Daddy, Macey, Emmy and JoJo"...
"Mommy, I love you every single day."
When asked, "How old will you be after your next birthday?", she replies, "Free".
Emmy: "I love you!" Mommy: "I love you, too!" Emmy: "I love you MORE!"
Favorite questions: "Why?", "Because why?", "What?", and "What's that mean?"
She's been saying this A LOT lately-- "I'm more hungry"...every 15 minutes!

Jolee's Funny Quotes & Questions

"I don't have peanuts, I have a vagina!"
Grady said: "Jolee, you have school tomorrow", Jolee said: "Oh, the PAIN!, THE PAIN!"
"Every time I push my belly out, my pants pop open!"
"Daddy, I love you so much that I can't let you out of my sight!"
"I'm warm...like a piece of toast."
"I have never, ever, EVER tooted in school!"
"Don't eat the yellow snow!"
"If we had a boy cat AND a girl cat, and they kissed...that would be GROSS!"
"Sometimes the world is a mystery..."
"What are bees' feet called?"
"Zip your lip and throw away the key!"
"Mom's the Mystery Farter!" Note: I'm sure it wasn't me...must've been Daddy!
When deciding whether or not to add chocolate to her ice cream she said, "I'm gonna go for it!"
"It smells like there's a butt in my nose!"
"Mom, I ROCK at this!"
"Tell it to the Judge!"

Macey's Corner: New things I've learned in school

In a handful of soil, there are more living organisms than there are people on the planet.
I have learned multiplication facts by two, three, four and five and division facts by two.
To reduce pollution when shopping, purchase items that are not in a box or that have little packaging.
A refuge is a place where animals and plants are safe.
In statistics, "mode" is the number that appears most often, "maximum" is the largest number, "minimum" is the lowest number, and "range" is the maximum minus the minimum.
A menorah is the candle holder in Hanukkah celebrations and a kinara is the candle holder in Kwanzaa celebrations.
In English, the days of the week start with a capital letter, in Spanish they don't.
In Germany a Christmas tree is called a Tannenbaum
Germany is a country in Europe.
Kwanzaa is a seven day holiday honoring the ancient African tradition of celebrating the year's harvest.
There is a difference between a food chain and a food web. Food chains follow a single path as animals find food and food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive.
Another word for collar bone is clavicle.
Not all spiders spin webs to catch food, some dig holes.
Today I completed 100 math facts in less than 5 minutes.
Amphibians are cold blooded animals.
In a math addition problem, if there are more than 2 numbers, find the facts of 10 and then add the others.
A fish that has spikes and puffs up is called a Puffer Fish.
Veteran's Day is also known as Armistice Day.
The phalanges are bones that make up our fingers and toes.
Check back often! Macey will populate this list.

Savin' Green, Bein' Green, Gettin' Lean

No Paper OR Plastic: Instead of buying giftbags for Christmas or birthday presents (especially for adults), buy re-usable grocery bags that the recipient can use everyday.
Cut it Short: In ALL of the baking I do, I always use less sugar than the recipe calls for. Even if you cut it just a little bit, every little bit helps. And, we never miss it!
No More White Stuff: The next time you have to buy flour, buy whole wheat flour. I use it in all of my baking and my family can't tell the difference!
Challenge Yourself: I got this idea from another blog I visit daily. Challenge yourself to not go to the grocery store for an entire week. This forces you to be creative with what you have on hand. It's also a great way to use up the odds and ends in your pantry. It got a little difficult at the end of the week, but we did it! Plus, the savings from that week were very noticeable on our grocery budget!
Rewards Cards: Take advantage of the rewards cards at stores you shop at often. For example, we use the Office Max rewards/recycle program and are able to get free stuff there with the rewards we've accumulated. I also get special discounts at Dick's Sporting Goods which comes in handy buying my running shoes every six months. Other cards I have are for CVS (they give you money to use on your next purchase), Hallmark (free coupons), all the grocery stores (you get the store's discount plus sometimes discounts on gas), shoe stores (special coupons), you get the picture.
Free Movie Nights: Do you have a Redbox kiosk nearby? If so, you can find Redbox codes online every Monday and Wednesday to get a free movie. And, even if you don't get the codes, movies are only a buck! Bye, bye Blockbuster!
Soccer Mom Must: Car pool, duh!
Don't be a Heel: Don't throw away the heels from your loaves of bread. I don't like eating them as sandwiches, either, but toss them in the freezer until you get several of them. Then, toast them in the toaster and throw them into your food processor...wala!...whole grain bread crumbs! And, they're a lot healthier than most of the breadcrumbs you buy at the store.
Behind Bars: Our family goes through granola bars like you wouldn't believe. I love that my kids like to eat this healthy snack, but I don't like how expensive they are. I found a great recipe that is so versatile you can tailor it to your own likes and dislikes. One pan costs pennies and makes 16-18 bars. Recipe is found above in "Janie's Kitchen".
101 Uses for Vinegar: I use it as a fabric softener (and no, our clothes don't stink!), mixed with water it is WAY better than Windex, my friend Stacy uses it to kill her weeds, I spray it on the counters to help get rid of ants, and this is just a few of things I can think of off the top of my head! Google it and have fun!
Stacking Coupons: Did you know that you can use a store coupon (ie. Walgreens, Target, etc.) AND and manufacturer's coupon for the same item? For example, you can print Target coupons (good only at Target) and clip your mfr. coupon to use on the same item. If you do this when the item is on sale, it's an even bigger bonus...many times you can get it free or almost free!