2006 Goals

Keep up with my daily to do lists.

Declutter and get house organized.

Lose 25 pounds, I can do with losing more but this should be an achievable goal for the year

Exercise daily whether it's walking or getting on the weight machine. I also have Pilates dvd's

Eat healthier. Not only me but my family also.

Get my finances under control. I have three credit cards that are maxed. Two have 300.00 limits The third has a higher limit.

To take an accounting class during the Spring semester at our Community College.

Prepare for Christmas earlier in the year, especially if making homemade gifts.

Most important:: Not beat myself up if I don't meet all my goals.

Christmas Panning 2006

Well I got all the Christmas stuff and tree put away. I really love Christmas and decorating for the holiday but I hate having to put everything away. It usually takes me a couple of days to get things put away where it might only take one or two days to decorate.

I have started planning on what I would like to do for next Christmas. I had my calendar out and I wrote down when I wanted to start homemade gifts, crafts, making cards, bgin purchasing presents and baking. Hopefully I can stick to my plan. I would really like to have a stress free
Chistmas next year. I hope to have all my gifts made and purchased by Dec. 1st. that way I will only have to wrap gifts then I can enjoy the holiday season.

I would like to begin decorating before Thanksgiving. I hope to have the Christmas tree up by Thanksgiving. Frank won't like it but he'll get over it.

Andrew

Happy 15th Birthday Andrew!!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was so awesome. I am so blessed to have a loving family, kids and a
wonderful husband. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
Our day started with Rachel getting up at 4:oo am. Frank had to tell her to go back
to bed but she just laid on the couch. Andrew got up at 5:oo so I came into the livingroom
about 5:30. Frank, Matthew and Rebekah were all sleeping so we woke them up about 5:45
After having our traditional hot chocolate and singing Jingle Bells we finally opened presents.

The kids were very happy with all their gifts. Frank really surprised me. He gave me
a new diamond ring and wedding band set!!! The diamond fell out of my other diamond
ring when one of the prongs broke about 5 years ago and the diamond chips have been falling out of my wedding band. So I have been asking Frank for a new diamond ring ever since.
I love him so much and at timse I wonder if he loves me as much. After him giving me this ring now I know he really loves me.

My parents, brothers, Danielle and kids came over for Christmas afternoon. So we had
a house full. Everyone had a good time and there was lots of food to eat. Jason bought us
an XBox 360, which Andrew was so excited about because that is what he really wanted.
IO have to keep reminding him that it belongs to all of us.

I am very glad Christmas is over but I am looking forward to next year. I love Christmas.
Since I joined the group Christmastothemax I have found so many neat Chistmas ideas
for decorating and for gifts that I can't wait to begin preparing for next Christmas.

Catching Up

It's been awhile since I last posted. We are just busy with soccer and school.
I am on the computer quite a bit but I never think to check in here until late
at night when the computer is shut off.
So I am just catching up.

Tuesday (Sept. 6) Matthew brought home his first reading book. It was called 'I am Sam' He read the book with no problems. Matthew was so proud of himself, he wanted to keep reading over and over again. Each day Matthew brings home a new book to read. Now that there are new words to learn he doesn't want to read as much. Once he gets through a book then he'll want to keep reading it until the next day.
I am so happy my kids enjoy reading.

I was talked into being a soccer coach for Matthew's soccer team. I have never coached a team before but I have gone to several games for different sports. My teams name is the Mustangs.
I have 7 players -- 5 boys, 2--girls. Our first game was on Sept. 10th. We lost but
that's o.k. the kids just had fun playing. Coaching is really getting me out pf my comfort zone because I am usually a very quiet and shy person. So this is a big step for me.

Rachel and Rebekah are also playing soccer but they are on different teams and age brackets. Our Saturdays are going to be very busy for the next three months.

My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I am 38 years old now. My kids are beginning to think that I am getting old but I don't feel old. I don't really have any plans for today. I need to watch my day care kids today and take Rachel to soccer practice. Maybe this Frank will take me out to lunch on Sunday.
Anyway Happy Birthday To Me!!

Weekend

I haven't been able to check in lately. Soccer has just started but I'll get into that more later.
We had a great wekend. Starting with the Point of Grace concert on Friday. Saturday we went to Flagstaff. I wanted to go to Joanne's Fabric store, they were having a great sale and I wanted to get a scrapebook case which was originally 59.99 but the sale price was 19.99. It was funny most of the people in line wanted the scrapbook cases. Then Michael's craft store was having a scrapbook discovery day the same afternoon. Rachel and I spent 4 hours at Michael's doing cards, scrapbook pages, tags and just hanging out together.
While waiting for Joanne's to open I bought a newspaper to pass the time and I read that actor Erik Estrada was going to be at Sam's Club with the Highway Dept. to promote car seat safety.
I love Erik Estrada. I used to watch the TV show CHIPS all the time. I had his picture on my bedroom wall and I was sure I could be Mrs. Estrada some day....lol. He still looks very good and I love his smile. He was signing autographs and posing for pictures. I got a big hug from him and my picture with him.
What a weekend we had. I'll post pics of Point Of Grace and Erik Estrada later.

Point Of Grace

Rebekah, Rachel and I just got home from the Point Of Grace concert. Rachel' friend Farrah went with us also but we dropped her off at home already. I couldn't believe it when I saw a poster advertising the concert that Point Of Grace was coming to Cottonwood. They were here as part of the Verde Concert Series that is sponsered by Verde Baptist Church here in Cottonwood. I still can't imagine how the church got one of the biggest christian groups to come perform here. The concert was so great. I was truly blessed to be able to attend and to attend with my daughters.
To tell the truth I didn't even know Point Of Grace was coming to town. We found out last Saturday, Aug 20th when we went to The Gingerbread House to look for something for my Santa swap. The poster was on the door. While at the register paying for my item, the owner asked Rachel if she was going to the concert. Rachel said she wanted to go and I was about to say I didn't have money to buy tickets that day but I would go back later, but the owner then said she had a family pass for 4. I new it cost 60 dollars and I was going to turn he down but she said she would give the pass to us for free as long as we promised to take 2 other people with us so the seats wouldn't be wasted. We were so excited.
We were really blessed that day. If I hadn't stopped at that store we would never have gone to the concert.
I believe God planned this evening for us. While standing in line waithing to get into the concert we saw Pastor Dave and Barbara Courtney, who were our pastors at Promise of Life until they closed the doors last September. We hadn't seen them since befor Thanksgiving. Also I ran into
Karen the secretary for Verde Valley Christian School. She told me that Donna in the daycare is in need of someone to work for her. Donna had offered me a job two weeks ago but Frank didn't think I should take it, but now he thinks I should quiy doing daycare at home and find a job. Especially after the problems Margaret and her family are going through right now because of her doing daycare in her home. I'll get more into that another day.
I'll just have to pray if I should call Donna, stay home doing daycare, or look for a different job.
It's late so I better run. We are going to Flagstaff in the morning.

School

Well the first week of school has ended. The kids all had a great time meeting their new teachers and seeing friends they hadn't seen since last year. Actually the girls are starting a new school this year, well new for Rachel, but Rebekah is returning after being gone for a year.
Matthew just stared kindergarten. He has a great week. I new he would like school but of course I was worried about my baby being gone all day. The other kids seemed to be more mature than Matthew at this age, but I have to admit I did baby him longer than the others.
I worked while the others were real young but Matthew has been home with me since day one.
I'm sure he'll do fine in school. He has already made two friends, Wyatt anf Trevor.
Andrew is in 9th grade this year. When it comes to school he can take it or leave it. He
would prefer not to go to school but knowing he needs to be there he'll go. He wants to graduate
from high school early so he has been taking some college courses for both college and high school credit. This semester he will be taking Windows XP Professional Certification.
It's a 3 credit class and he will be have an XP Certification.
I am glad school finally started, Now we just need to get into a new daily routine.
Drama Club starts next week for Rachel. Soccer should be starting soon for Rachel, Rebekah and Matthew.
Of course I am still at home with my day care kids so my days won't be boring.

New Blog

Just starting out on this.