YELLOW BELT

Ashlee graduated on Friday to a yellow belt in Tae Kwan Do. She has been in TKD since October and is on her third belt. She loves it! On Friday, she had to break her first board. She got up there and practiced on a pad first and she kicked hard, then he put the board in front of her and she kicked it and I heard her say oww! I got a little nervous after that but she shook it off and tried it again. They can keep trying until they break it or it starts to hurt too much. She kept at it until about the forth kick and she broke it! I was so proud of her that I got all weepy. She was so excited and so were we. It is so rewarding to see your child accomplish something that they worked so hard on. It was a very proud moment for Marvin and I.

Best Friend

Having a best friend is one of life's greatest blessings. I have had the best of a best friend! Malinda and I have been best friends for about 15 years. I can't even remember how we got to become BF but I am so glad we did. In those 15 years, we have been through alot together. We've laughed, we've cried, we've lost loved ones, gotten married, had children, traveled together, and have never really fought about anything. Whenever something big happened in my life, she was and still is the first person I would call. She has always been there for me and has encouraged me in everything I have done in my life. Some of the best times in my life have been with her. We have had some difficult times in both of our lives but we have always been there for each other and knew we could count on each other.
Malinda, I love you and I have been so blessed to have you in my life. I cherish the times we've had together and I look forward to more great times together. Always remember that I will always be here for you and I am so honored to be your best friend:)

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY, ASHLEE

My girl turned 8 years old yesterday(2/5/07) On our kids birthdays we let them pick where they want to have dinner, and she chose Amigos. She loves the chips and salsa, which is mainly why she chose there. She ordered a hamburger! She's like me! They brought her out her own ice-cream and she liked the ice cream part of it but not the coconut and nuts. We are having a big birthday party on the 17th so the twins can celebrate their birthday which is on the 16th.

TIN GRINS ARE IN!

Matthew became even more handsome when he received his braces yesterday! He was excited to get them but I was afraid he would be in alot of pain so before we went I gave him some Motrin and he did fine. Braces have come along way since I had mine. I remember my teeth hurt so bad that I couldn't eat! His are fine. He likes them alot and smiles more.

Time to change

Well, after being a stay at home mom for 9 years and all my kids being in school full time, I decided it's time to get a job. Starting on Monday I will be working during school hours at a daycare taking care of infants and toddlers! It is actually a blessing because I have the perfect hours and I still will have quality time with the kids plus we finally will have two steady incomes! That has been the hardest part for our family. As the kids get older they require more stuff and it will help out alot to have that extra cushion. I am looking foward to having something to do during the day and also helping Marvin out with the finances. Wish me luck:)

New Year Resolutions

Okay, another year to make some resolutions. Hopefully I can stick to them:)

1) Lose another 40 pounds (Lord help me!!)
2) Develop a closer relationship with God (quiet time,bible study)
3) Yell at my kids less and hug them more
4) Have more date nights with my husband
5) Be a better steward with the finances (no more impulse shopping)
6) Help people that are less fortunate then me
7) Keep my house cleaner so I won't be embarrassed when people stop by
8) Get a J-O-B! (oh my has it really been 9 yrs?)
9) Be more patient(especially with the kiddos)
10) Develop a better self image!

Well, let's see later on how I'm doing with these goals for 2007!

The end of the year

Well, it's almost 2007, can you believe it? A lot has happened this year, so I'll highlight a few things. All my kids celebrated another birthday and grew even bigger and in September they all were in school full time. Marvin and I celebrated 11 years of marriage and I am more in love with him than ever before. We spent another year without Marvin's parents and we miss them being in our lives and them seeing their grandchildren grow up. We said good-bye to Ken and Robin and the children as they moved to Tennessee to start a new life down south and we celebrated with Ken as he graduated with a degree in education. We are so proud!! It has been a healthy year for us and especially me as I have lost 41 pounds and still am trying to lose more. That has been awesome because I have more energy and can do a lot more activity with the kids.
We have had some sad times as well. In December, my cousin Kim died tragically at the age of 31. It was a sad time for her family as it happened so close to Christmas. Matthew's hamster also died tragically at the hands, or should I say mouth of our dog, Buster. He is now laid to rest in the backyard. (The hamster, not Buster).
I think that is all, I probably forgot important things but it is 12 am and I'm getting tired. So, I will go for now but will post my 2007 resolutions another day.

A terrible tragedy

A tragedy has happened to my family today. My cousin, Kim, who is 31 years old and the mother of 3 year old twin boys is on life support this very hour. The accident happened yesterday as she was getting ready to start her day. She made a bath for her boys and as she got it ready,she continued to get herself ready and was blow drying her hair. She apparently had her head upside down and when she flipped back over she hit her head on the sink which knocked her out and she fell backwards into the tub, where she drowned. Her husband was in the basement and he heard a thud. He just thought it was the boys and went back to what he was doing. 5-6 minutes passed and he thought it was strange that the blow dryer was still going so he went upstairs to see her and he found her in the tub. He pulled her out and she was blue and had no pulse or heartbeat. He started CPR and called for help.
At this hour we are hoping for a Christmas miracle. She shows no signs of life. She is on every machine possible and is in a coma. Her brain is swollen because of lack of oxygen. The doctors have already prepared the family but her husband is in shock and is not ready to make the decision to take her off life support. He is only 30. how can you blame him? Can you imagine being a widow @ 30? I still can't believe this is happening.
She is a oncology nurse at Oak wood and devoted her life to helping people with cancer, because her mother died of cancer in 1993. She was to graduate this Sunday from Eastern with a bachelors in nursing, with a 3.9 GPA. How sad is that? She was so happy to get it and now she won't walk across the stage to receive something she worked so hard for. Her husband will do it in her honor.
We never know what will happen in our lives. That is why we must live each day to the fullest and love each other and our families and hold them close. I have many good memories of Kim. We shared a bond that was special because we are cousins and we each had twins. Her boys, Brett and Dylan, will grow up without a mother now but with a father that loves them very much and a family that will see a part of Kim when they look at them. Her legacy will live through them.
Good-bye Kim, I'll never forget you.

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CHRISTmas time is here!

I just love Christmas time! It is so much fun preparing for this special time of year. I love the fact that Jesus Christ was born for me! It can't get any better than that. There is just something about the fact that if it wasn't for Jesus, I, nor you, would be here today. God had a master plan that was so awesome that it boggles my mind. I am so glad that Jesus was born so that we would have life and be able to love and share during this time of year. I think we should be in the spirit of giving every day and not just during the holidays. Jesus said that we are to be His disciple's and go and share the love of Jesus to everyone we meet. This is the perfect time to share about Jesus and His love for people. It starts with me. I need to be willing to move out of my comfort zone and tell others about Him and what he has done in my life.
Jesus is truly the reason we celebrate this season. Will you share about Jesus this holiday? I will surly take up the challenge to go where God is at and share His story with people.

Merry Christmas to you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk

If you need a laugh, copy and past this link in your browser. It is really funny to watch.

I was Wrong

Well, the Tigers did not win the world series! I was disappointed because they made so many silly errors. They did however, come from last place to first place and that means a lot. They were good all season and reacquired their fans that had given up on them. I was so glad to be there on that first game and all the excitement that went with it. Even though they lost I am still proud of them, after all, there's next season:)

World Series Game #1

I was able to go to the first game of the World Series and was it ever AWESOME!! Even though they lost 7-1 it was well worth the money I spent. We had good seats by the third base line and we were surrounded by huge fans and one grumpy old guy who yelled at Malinda for standing up. The nerve of some people!!
We got on the big screen because we were holding up signs and that was kool. After the game we walked around and found channel 7 news and Eric Zimmerman(He's even cuter in person)we stood behind him and got on live TV! After we left him we ran into Karen Drew and talked to her for a minute and got pictures with her. It was so much fun! They went on to win game 2 but I was glad we went to game 1 because there was no rain and it wasn't as cold. The Tigers are going to win the World Series I just know it.

GO TIGERS!!!!!!!

Heart of your home

I have just finished a book by Robin McGraw (Dr. Phil's wife) and I was very moved and inspired by her words of wisdom. One chapter in particular really touched me. The book is called "Inside my Heart" and the chapter was the last one of the book and its called "The heart of my Home". In it she talks about making her house a home and making sure everything is running smooth and is a warm place to be. A home should be a place of happiness and joy and should be a place of refuge from the outside world where you can leave the days troubles behind and focus on your family. I want my home to be my heart and reflect love and value and that my children can grow up and remember the times that we have had here and that they know that there is a lot of love here and that they can feel safe and warm and loved.
If you get a chance, pick up a copy of her book, it is really good and has a lot to offer for women.

Weight Watcher

Well, this is it. I finally feel good about myself to post pictures of my weight loss journey. I don't feel like I'm bragging but I feel so much better about myself that I like to show others that weight loss is something everyone can do. I have struggled with weight since I was 16 years old and it wasn't until this summer that I decided to really do something about it. I have tried WW so many times and always came up with an excuse to quit. Well, I've come this far that quitting is no longer an option. Since April 10, 2006 I have lost 40 pounds. I have NEVER lost that much on a diet in my life. The most weight I ever lost at one time was 43 pounds after I had the twins. I'm half way to my goal and I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has not been an easy road and I know it will have more ups and downs along the way but I'm going for it and I will succeed.