Danelle's Diary

She returns

2008-07-25T18:37:00.002-05:00

She's back!!!!!!!!!!!! Only for a moment though.

We picked up Louie today. Everything was great with her. She had a great time at camp. She had lots of tell us, and lots of crafty things to share. She met some great friends and wants to go back next year.

I saw her and hugged her. She gave me a hug, a good one. But, then she caught eye of her brother. And boy...she let go of me and immediately latched on to him. They had this great hugging time. You could see that they seriously missed each other. His hug was way longer than mine, no fair! She of course saw her Daddy and hugged on him too. Then she took off for her room. I followed her and she was immediately showing me some stuff she made. Then, I started to cry. I was so happy to see her. I pulled it together before anyone else came in the room though.

She took some pictures and after we go through them we'll to post some on here. But, I wanted you all to know that she's home safe and happy.

Oh ya...back to the beginning. Guess what....not long after we were home her friends started calling. So, she's spending the night at Amanda's house. I guess she missed her friends more than us. **sigh**

I miss her

2008-07-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

We took Shelbie to church camp on Monday. She was such a brave girl. She didn't know a soul there but was more than happy to go. This was our conversation weeks ago when trying to decide if she should go to camp.

Shelbie: "I want to go to that art camp."
Me: "That camp is at Camp Lakeside. It's further away but if that's where you want to go you can."
Shelbie: "Yes, that's where I wanna go."
Me: "Ok, but you will not know anyone there. All your friends are going to the other camp."
Shelbie: "Well, isn't that what camp is for? To meet new people?"

Wow, she's got the right idea! We had a far drive to get her there but she was thrilled to go. The camp is called Camp Creation. I'm anxious to see what they created this week. Shelbie is pretty artsy so I'm sure she loved it.

Here she is in her room. She ended up rooming with 3 girls from Salina. They seemed like nice girls. It was 2 sisters and their friend. I hope, since they all knew each other, that they didn't leave her out.

Here in this picture she was smiling and pointing to the door. I guess it was a major hint to leave. Go mom. I'm ready for you to leave. She did hug and kiss me though. The others girls in the room didn't even do that for their mom. I felt lucky to have an affectionate daughter.

I just have to say that I miss her. I can't wait to get her picked up tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see her and see that she's ok and to hug her and kiss her and talk to her and laugh with her and find out what all she did and joke with her and tease her and hug on her and sit by her and look at her and..... gosh, can you tell that I miss her?

Joshua

2008-07-23T12:34:00.003-05:00

This is Joshua.

He just had his 10th birthday. Happy Birthday Josh!

Josh loves soccer. He plays competively and he's good at it.

I love his laugh. It's so cute. He can't hold in the giggle.

He has the best hair. Just look at this picture. Very handsome.

He will be entering into 5th grade. Already.

Josh is a great kid. I've known him since he was baking in his momma's tummy. I feel an extra special bond with him because Alicia and I were pregnant at the same time. We found out we were pregnant together. We spent practically every day of our pregnancy together. We watched the boys hit their milestones together. We continue to see them develop into the young boys they are.

Happy Birthday Josh! You are a great kid. Awesome. Da bomb. Way cool. Outta this world.

Treasures

2008-07-23T11:53:00.007-05:00

We spent a morning at the creek with Alicia, Jacob, and Josh. It was just a fun morning to celebrate Landon and Josh's birthdays. They were in their element there outdoors.

It was mega humid when we got there. It felt like the jungle. You could actually see moisture hanging in the air. But, not long after we were there the sun melted it away and then it was nice. For a while that is...then it got hot. That's Kansas for ya.

The boys found a lot of treasures. The first find was this snake. He startled me a bit but the boys were so happy to catch him. They released it because there was no way I was taking a snake home.

The next treasure was this jaw bone. From what? A cow? It was just laying right there smiling at us. No, we did not take that thing home. Are you crazy?

This frog was a huge deal. He still had his tail so he was still in tadpole mode. Way cool. We had to take that one home.

These are a couple of the miscellaneous things found. We left those there for another kid to find and enjoy.

Crawdads. I think we ended up taking 3 of these home.

This was the best find of all. My glasses. I dropped them on the way there. After I realized they were missing (I had my sunglasses on) we backtracked and found them. Thank goodness!! We all know that I'm blind as a bat without them. And what a pain it would be to have to wear my sunglasses all day until new glasses came in. Thanks Alicia for your good eye and for finding them!!

Swimming

2008-07-21T22:53:00.003-05:00

While at the tournament Shelbie got to stay with a host family. This family took her and three other girls and took care of them. They boarded them, fed them, got them to/from games. Basically, they treated them like their own children. Traci and Ed were the nicest people ever. Seriously. They even let Tim, Landon, and I stick around their house and swim. And they fed us on top of it all. At one point I curled up on their couch and took a nap, that's how comfortable they made us. It was a great experience. I wish this couple lived close to us, I know they'd be good friends. They were so friendly and I'd felt like I'd known them for years. They were a blessing and I hope that God blesses them in return.

Anyway, these pics were taken at their pool. It was a beautiful pool. Sure wish I had one of these in my backyard.

Tournament

2008-07-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

We went to the Midwest Regional Tournament in Monett, Missouri. The girls did not win but it was a great learning experience not to mention tons of fun!
They played with heart. I'm so proud of all of them. Here are a few pics of our Louie in action. She played in the outfield some but mostly on second base. Her last game was her best. She had 4 put outs that made me proud.

Waiting to run to the next base.

She was bunting in this last picture.

TEN!!

2008-07-21T22:24:00.004-05:00

LOOK WHO TURNED 10!

Ten of Landon's favorite things at age 10

Favorite Food: Chicken honey BBQ wings

Favorite Candy: Sugar Daddies

Favorite Sport: Football

Favorite thing to do: Build with legos

Favorite other thing to do: Hunt for frogs/turtles

Favorite person: Mom (ok, he didn't say that...I just added it!! ha ha, sounds good though)

Best friend: Jayden

Other things he loves to do: Go swimming, take things apart, create/build things, look at youtube videos on the computer, picking on his sister, wrestle, play Guitar Hero.

Landon is such a great kid. He is full of energy. He has a caring heart. He is fun. It's been an adventurous ten years with little lil guy. I look forward to seeing him grow up in the next ten years. I love you Buddy!

Double Digits!!!

2008-07-21T22:04:00.005-05:00

Tradition. Every year I hang something in the kids doorway on the morning of their birthday. So, when they wake up they walk through it. At that point they "magically" turn their new age. Well, this year I hung 10 $1.00 bills since Landon was turning 10.

Since I worked 3rd shift that night I got home and he was already awake waiting for me to get home so he could open his present. I had not hung down his decorations yet. So, I made him hide his eyes and then I hung them up. It was all backwards. He walked throught it and finally turned 10. Yes, it was backwards but it worked.

He was super excited because he got the lego set he's been wanting. He worked on that sucker for hours. All day. He really gets into the building thing. He's good at it too.

Bras

2008-07-15T00:14:00.003-05:00

"Friends are like bras...

they give lots of support"

You know how you have a favorite bra? You want to wear it everyday but sometimes you do have to launder it? Well, Alicia is like one of those bras!

Some bras are uncomfortable. They are itchy, or too loose, or too tight, or too padded, or too thin, or too wirey.... But, sometimes you find a bra that is perfect, just right.

Think about it...you really can relate your bras to your friendships. Maybe a friend is not enough support, maybe you have a bra that isn't good support. Maybe you have a bra that is itchy. Maybe you have a friend that is itchy and scratches a lot. Ok, that's just funny. Anyway, you get the point. Now, I'm just having fun, I'm on a roll! Look out!!!!!

Ok, the whole point to my story is that Alicia is like my favorite bra. I reach for her everyday. Some days we don't see each other but I consider those laundry days.

All Stars

2008-07-14T00:01:00.007-05:00

Here is my All Star, Shelbie. She had an awesome season. She mostly played 2nd base but she also did left field too. I saw such an improvement in her skills as the season went on. I am overwhelmed with this super duper proud feeling that I can't describe.

I had to miss some games. I made me more sad than I tried to let show. It hurts to not be there for everything. Sometimes it stinks to work. I was certainly there in spirit though, cheering for her despite being absent.

Good job Louie. You made your mom proud.

The last game I got to attend I planned on taking some good video clips. But, this is all I got before my camera batteries decided to die. So, she's not hitting the ball here but it's all I've got. Give me a break man.

This is a cool picture. I like the names on the back of the shirts. Big Young, Little Young.

Carrie

2008-07-11T08:24:00.003-05:00

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -- Bernard Meltzer.

Yep, I'm slightly cracked and Carrie still loves me. She's slightly cracked and I think it's because her mom dropped her when she was a baby. HA, kidding. This is my friend, Carrie. I have a few nicknames for her.

One is Chewey. I love to call her that. It's short for Chewbacka (I don't know how to spell that). There is a funny story to go along with this name but I will spare you the details.

The other one is Connie. I think this name generated way back years ago. I do not know the details of it but if I recall correctly someone called her that in error and it stuck.

The other one is Friend. Yes, Carrie is my friend. She's been my friend for years. We originally first met her at Lamaze class in 1996. Then later at church that year we became friends.

Carrie is a great person. Her 4oth birthday is coming later this year (stay tuned for that!). I was going to do a post about her on her birthday but I felt compelled today to write about her. When I feel the urge to write about someone I just do it.

I just love her. I will write more about her in October when she turns old...oops, I mean 40.

July 4th (actually July 3rd)

2008-07-11T01:11:00.004-05:00

My celebration time for the holiday was July 3rd because I had to work on the 4th. Bummer, ya I know but hey somebody has to do it.

Good Friends.

Good Food.

What more could you ask for.

Who knew that Gary smoked punks? It was news to me but I captured proof.

AFLAC...quack, quack

2008-07-10T17:24:00.004-05:00

If any of you have read Tim's blog lately you know that he had an injury. Well, thank goodness the doctor told him today it's not has bad as they had originally thought. He's in a walking boot for a few weeks and hopefully by then the inflammation will go down. Anyway, a funny thing came to us through all this....

We had Aflac (can you hear the duck? AFLAC! AFLAC!) insurance for accidents. So, this will be covered completely plus we'll probably get a little money back too. The reason we got Aflac was because of Landon. He saw him as a dangerous toddler and knew that he would probably be having a lot of accidents. Well, here comes the funny part....all of us have used the insurance EXCEPT Landon. He (thank goodness) has not had an accident that's sent him to the doctor. Not yet, and I hope never.

We used to have an Aflac stuffed duck that said AFLAC! when you squeezed his foot. I wish we still had him because I'd do a video clip of it. I used to push it over and over just to annoy Tim. Ahh, that was fun.

Ok, on to another subject...I have been absent from blogland lately. I have not been in a writing mood nor have I been taking pictures lately. It will come back to me I'm sure.

Babe Ruth

2008-07-06T13:27:00.002-05:00

This is the Babe Ruth team that will play from town. Shelbie is far right, front row. This team was compiled from the 3 teams in town. These girls will play next weekend in the state tournament. If any of you are interested in coming to cheer them on let me know and I can give you details of who/what/when/where/why.

They have been working hard, practicing every night pretty much and having long practices too. I can't wait to see them play!!

Hey Man..

2008-06-30T23:58:00.004-05:00

Yo.

Wazz Up? Oh, you know me..I'm just a cat, hanging out, eatin' some catnip, chillin' with the rest of them.

Now leave me alone so I can sleep. Can someone turn the lights off? It's bright in here.

Church Picnic

2008-06-29T23:34:00.003-05:00

Way cool story with these two. I've known Kyle for a long time. When I heard he was dating Hilary I was shocked. Hilary is my friend, June's daughter. So, to hear they are dating is way cool. I hope it works out between the two of them. I think they are great for each other and they make a cute couple too.
This is Patsy and Greg. Patsy is like another mom to me. She's actually Alicia's mom but I like to pretend she's mine too. Sshhh..don't tell anyone that I pretend ok.
Three Amigos. The best of friends. Too bad Carrie's eyes are half closed in this picture and my right boob looks way lower than my left. Otherwise it would be a pretty good shot. (Ha, made ya look at my chest didn't I?..stop it!)

Watermelon!!
What the heck?
Angry mouth full of food!
Eww...gross!
Finally, normal looking people.

Fun games!Another cool shot of the kids.

Pyramid

2008-06-29T23:19:00.003-05:00

Landon

Josh Emily

Abbie Jacob Shelbie

What a great pyramid! I absolutely love this picture that was captured tonight. I think I will blow it up and frame it.

Happy Happy Birthday!!

2008-06-29T01:54:00.005-05:00

Today

is Warren's Birthday. I just remembered. Well, technically it was yesterday because it's after midnight. But, since I have not gone to sleep yet it is still today. So, don't get all technical on me now.

So, in honor of his day I searched my archive of pictures trying to find one of just him. Goodness I did not have much luck. I did find this great pic of him and Seth laughing though. Looks like they are having a great time. Then, there's this other one of him on this ab machine. I think he was demonstrating how to use it or something.

Anyway....happy birthday Warren. I hope it was a good one. Now, are you older than me now? Or just the same age? I always get it confused. I like to think that you're older even though you act so immature at times. And you are so much smarter than me too, you endless wealth of knowledge you. Of course I have more common sense. It's all a balance. Here's to you, my friend. I owe you a birthday beer.

Spirit Shoes Finale

2008-06-29T01:27:00.003-05:00

These are Aunt Sherry's "spirit shoes". She has worn them to Shelbie's ball games. They are red and match the Bomber's team colors. Her toe nails are all pretty and nice too. That's what I call spirit!!

This was the last night of the regular softball season. It was a great season too. The whole team improved so much since the beginning. I'm proud of them all and their hard work. Tim did a great job as head coach. I know he put in a lot of time for these girls and he loved it too. He is truly a great dad.

Packed up and calling it over.

Good job Shelbie! I'm so proud of you. This is certainly a sport you should stick with.

When all else fails just move!

2008-06-26T07:54:00.006-05:00

Early on in the season Landon got nailed in the collarbone while playing catcher. He was sore for days. Ever since then he does not like to play this position.
Since all the kids have to rotate this position his solution is to just move out of the way when the ball comes. Some kids have thrown fits and just refused to play catcher because they all keep getting hit. Landon will play it but it's funny to watch. Here's a little sample of his "move out of the way" tactic. I can't blame the kid. I wouldn't want to sit there as a target for that ball to hit. Yeah sure, they have protective gear on but some parts of you are exposed. That'd put the fear in me. I don't like my parts exposed!

This last video clip is just of him hitting the ball. It's kind of far away but you can still see. I was hot and sweaty and lazy and didn't move off the bench to take the video.

Warning: Only read this last paragraph is you don't mind TMI:

When I stood up to leave after the game it felt like I'd peed my pants that's how sweaty it was down there in the southern region. Oh gosh, that's too much information. Again, I'll be lazy and not go back and delete it. So, I inserted a warning instead. hee hee For real though...it was super hot out there yesterday at 5:30. Ick.

Code of Ethics

2008-06-25T09:48:00.003-05:00

Last night at the softball tournament the girls recited the Babe Ruth Code of Ethics. After looking at the words it made me think that we all should live by this code. It should be stated the Code of Life.

Babe Ruth Code of Ethics:

Develop a strong clean body health mind and soul.
Develop a strong urge for sportsmanlike conduct.
Develop understanding of and respect for the RULES.
Develop courage in defeat, tolerance and modesty in victory.
Devlop control over emotions and speech.
Develop spirit of cooperation and team play.
Develop into real, true citizens.

Imagine the wonderful world we would live in if we all lived by this code of ethics. In our workplace, our homes, in public, in private...everywhere.

It was a great idea

2008-06-22T23:31:00.006-05:00

He had it all planned out. He did the work. He got the rope tied to the trees. Oh boy! Was he ready. He was bound and determined to have a zipline through our front yard. He's always wanted to do this.

As you can see though, the attempt failed. We tried to tell him that the rope was not strong enough, and it would just sag down. We need cable to do it. That would be fun! He gets an "A" for effort!! Good try Buddy! If you listen carefully, you will hear him say "If I break a leg will you call 911?" "Ya" I said. "Will you buy me a lego set if I am in the hospital?" "Ya".
So, he tightened the rope and made it a little higher. Here is another attempt.

Look who's having a baby!

2008-06-22T22:41:00.003-05:00

I love little babies. I love little baby things. Booties. Good smellin' lotion. Baby monitors. Teddy bears. Cute little outfits. Awwww....it's all so dang cute. I seriously want to put it all in my pocket. And keep it there, safe and sound.

This is Tim's cousin, Andra. Isn't she a glowing? Today was her and her husband, Seth's baby shower. Soon they will welcome their new little girl into their world.

Ya, you heard me. It's a girl! They already know it's a girl. In fact, they already have her named....Alyssa Raenell. Pretty name. It sounds so girly too.

They got a lot of great baby items. Cute, adorable, fuzzy, soft, pink things. Kinda makes you wanna have another baby.

Whooaaa!!!!! Did I just say that outloud? No way. It wasn't me. I didn't say it. No way.

Ok, maybe for a minute I wanted another one. Then, I reached over beside and me and picked my senses back up. Whew, that was a close one!

Good luck Seth and Andra. I know you'll be great parents. Have fun! Here is my very own personal advice. Take it for what it's worth. I could go on and on but I will just give you some...Top Ten Words of Advice from Danelle.

1) Let your kids get dirty. Ya, I know you got a lot of bath soap and stuff at your shower but I mean later when they are toddlin' around. Let them get dirty and play in the mud occassionally.

2) Don't always do for them what they can do for themselves. Otherwise, they expect you to do all the work when they get older. (hard lesson for me to learn, believe me on this one).

3) Don't give in to those tantrums that will come. Yes, they will come! Let no mean no.

4) Read to her all the time. All the time. All the time. She will be more apt to grow up loving books and reading.

5) Try not to cuss when she's around. Really. She will grow up saying those words too not knowing what she's saying.

6) Don't be paranoid. Just relax. Sit back and enjoy the ride! Bruises, bonks, fevers, separation anxiety, spit up, scrapes, babysitters, odd colored poo, thumb/pacifier sucking...oh, these are just a few of the things you will face...just take it all with stride. Do what's always best for her but relax and don't freak out. This is hard for first time parents to do.

7) Love her with all your heart. Tell her daily how much you love her.

8) Don't wish her ahead. What I mean is don't wish she was rolling over, then sitting up, then crawling, then walking. These things will inevitably happen. And it all happens too fast. Don't wish it sooner than it needs to come. They are only babies once! Enjoy the stage she is in.

9) Start her a savings account now. You don't have to put much in it, even $10 a month will add up. You won't regret it later.

10) Take time for yourself and take time for your marriage. Do this all the time. Very important.

Surprise!!!!

2008-06-18T23:32:00.005-05:00

This is my mom. She just had her birthday last week. She turned 63. I'm 36..isn't that cool?

The ladies at the church wanted to do something special for her. The presented her with this beautiful pot of flowers to honor her and her birthday. Mom does a lot in this church and I know this meant a lot to her.

After church during the fellowship time we had a cake for her and Pam also got one that said Happy Fathers Day (can't forget the dad's).

It's always fun to spend time at Pam & Ivan's house. We did go-cart rides and also had a fire going in the firepit that night. I love roasted marshmallows and I think I ate way too many. This is the nice thing about living in the country..you can do things like this. After dark the kids played basketball with a volleyball. What do you call that? Vasketball?

Time with the cousins was much needed.

The weather was perfect and the time with family was awesome. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you and glad you were surprised. Feel the love.

I didn't realize

2008-06-18T12:26:00.003-05:00

I never even thought about some people not wanting information about themselves on here. It's been brought to my attention that some people are uncomfortable about it. I feel bad. It was inconsiderate of me to post about them without asking first. ??? Anyway, if I've offended anyone in anyway or made anyone uncomfortable I am sorry. IF you are a person that does not like to be made public please just let me know. Send an email or post a comment here. I'll try to be more careful of what I post.