Well, it has taken me a couple of days to come on here and admit this...but it's true. I'm 34 now. Yuck! I had no problem turning 30 but 34 has thrown me just a bit. I think it's because technically I'm not in my early 30's anymore-I'm mid 30's now. We had a very low key day here on my actual birthday. Andy took the day off work and took care of me. He made me breakfast and took care of Asher all morning. I scrapped! Without interruption!! We drove to Dutch Valley and picked up a peach pie. He cooked dinner.....it was nice. Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Bud dropped by bearing gifts. I got a gift card and really pretty flowers. All the kids are praying I don't kill them!! Hoping they don't meet the same fate as the flowers Maia bought me for Easter.

That's right. My Orchids have been reduced to a sad little stick. I love flowers and plants I just can't seem to keep them alive. Aunt Cathy and Uncle Andy sent me an e card. I swear they always remember everything. I always have great intentions but not the follow through. My mom came on Tuesday and brought my 7 little gift bags. Kyle's week of birthday idea was ingenious. Who wouldn't love getting a gift everyday for a week? Days 1 2 &3 were a necklace, earings and matching ring. I'm waiting to open up day 4 until I get my house cleaned. Kind of a reward of sorts. I really really don't want to clean today!! Day 4 seems kinda heavy...can't wait to see what it is.

Now that Asher is proficient at using the potty he has decided that he should stand up while he pees. I taught both boys to use the potty sitting down and quite frankly hoped they would both keep up with the practice until they got older. After all, some moron decided it would be a good idea to put carpet in my bathroom. Obviously the previous owners did not have boys in the house. Anybody with boys would have to know that carpet in the bathroom would just be a completely disgusting idea! Well Asher has decided that his pee-pee is a fire hose. That's right Asher is completely responsible now for putting out all the fires in our toilet with his special hose. He takes his job very seriously. He has also discovered the joys of peeing outside. We have no other choice at baseball practice. There is no other potty available. When he realized I was going to let him do this he was confused at first. Then completely delighted in it. He laughed and giggled through the entire experience. Apparently putting out fires in the grass is even better than putting out fires in the potty!!!

In other news....Maia had her first piano lesson yesterday!!! She has been asking for lessons for the last 2 years. Her time had finally come. She was beyond herself with excitement!! She came home from the lesson and immediately did all her bookwork and proceeded to practice for the next 3 hours. She talked about Dorothy like Dorothy herself had hung the moon. I think she may have found her thing. Andy was beaming with pride. He is thrilled one of his offspring is interested in music. Let's hope it sticks.
Asher enjoyed himself at the lesson also. He pointed out all the instruments and about who he knew that played each one. Andy started playing one of the classicals and Asher hummed and tap the beat on Andy's back. Andy said he had the timing down.

Batter Up

Isaac had his first ballgame of the season today. They all did a great job. Isaac is playing the pitcher's position and he is doing fantastic with it. He slammed the ball each time he was up to bat!!! We just need some extra work in fielding grounder's. Overall, the entire team has improved this year. Maybe we'll win more than one game this season!

The kids got to see how the law works close up last night. It was quite educational. The neighbor directly across the street beat the crap outta his kid and the police came and took him away. The kids witnessed the whole shebang. From the first curse words uttered to the kid getting his face slammed in their door to 3 cruisers pulling up to take daddy away. My kids came away from the situation with a whole lotta questions. Things like why did the dad make his son's face bloody....isn't the dad supposed to be a grown up and know he's not supposed to hit people because he's mad....will the police find a bunch of drugs over there? Oh wait that last question was mine not the kids. I figure in a couple of day's daddy will come home and kick out the son yet again. He'll probably add in the daughter and her newborn as well because she's the one who called the cops this time around.

Maia thinks she's 14. She has taken to wearing her hair over her eye because it looks great that way. Doesn't matter that she can't see! I caught her telling a little girl at the playground that she has a Hannah Montana guitar. She doesn't. She's also taken with doing yoga. All on her own she'll pull out one of my dvd's and exercise. She told me she's fat. She is the farthest thing from fat!! Most of the time she's still my sweet little girl. But we are seeing little snippets of attitude more and more often lately. Makes me appreciate days like today. Days where she plays in the dirt and builds castles from rocks. Days where she drags out her littlest pet shop sets and dollies and barbies.

I won a contest!!!!

It's true!! Never in a million years did I think I would win. All the entries were really beautiful. Anyways here is the winning layout. It was a challenge....so the host of the contest gave us guidelines of what we could and couldn't use. In the end they judges couldn't choose between mine and another lady's(which was beautiful) so we sort of tied for first I guess!!

This Lady was a great grandmother.
This Lady prayed for me
This Lady loved yard sales
This Lady was a survivor
This Lady was a mother
This lady NEVER matched her clothes
This Lady was a true hillbilly
This Lady bought me my first Bible
This Lady worked in a TB hospital
This Lady cooked fried potatoes Every day
This Lady was a great great grandmother
This lady loved polyester pants
This Lady gave “original” gifts
This Lady let me play her electric organ
This Lady had a reclining pink chaise lounge
This Lady had Alzheimer’s
This Lady loved Jesus
This Lady loved ME

And I loved her. This is the last picture
Taken of me and my great grandma where I’m
Sure she still knows who I am. We had all gone out to
Lunch …me, my mom, all her Sisters and grandma
Judy. Poor Andy was the only man there.
Someone decided to randomly take this picture. I
Never would’ve guessed that Alzheimer’s would so cruelly
Take away her memory of me. It happened so fast. On this
Day we sat and talked about what we were going to order
And how great the food was. If I’d only known how very
Soon her memory of me would fade I would’ve talked
About the important things in life. I would’ve apologized
For taking her for granted. For getting so caught up in
My own young life that I forgot about her. Then she forgot
About me and I could never get that time back. A big thank
You to whoever took this photo. One random shot means so
Much to me.

Asher's Very First Joke

Asher just told me his first official joke.

Asher: Knock Knock
Me: Who's There?
Asher: Banana
Me: Banana Who?
Asher: BANANA!!!! I wanna EAT CHOOOOO!!!!!!
He was very proud of himself.

Spring is here!!!

I think Spring may have sprung!!! It has been a long cold Winter and my family has desperately been needing this bit of sunshine we've seen for the last couple of days. We've been playing outside a lot. Asher is definitely an outdoors kinda guy. He just can't get enough of it. Last night Andy cleaned out both sides of the garage!! We started talking about landscaping and fixing up our patio area. I think we are going to plant purples, pinks and orange hues this year. I love it when my outside is full of pretty bushes and flowers!!!! I just have a hard time keeping them alive. I think we may do honeysuckle or a butterfly or hummingbird bush beside our porch. We'll see.
Isaac had his first scrimage on Sunday. It went really well!!! He made some great plays and his coaches were impressed with him. I can't figure out when he got so big? Wasn't it just last week that we were celebrating being pregnant? Wasn't it just yesterday that I cradled him in my arms and proudly introduced him to all our friends and family? I remember with bright and vivid clarity the weight of his tiny self in my arms. The feel of his soft baby hair and the smell of his skin. I can remember conversations that I had with him 6 years ago just like they happened moments ago. I can't believe he is almost 9. He can't believe it either!! He is the only kid I know who isn't in a hurry to grow up. He knows how good he has it here. He is wise beyond his years!!But he IS growing up. I am so proud of the way he is remaining true to who he is and to what we have taught him. Last night he asked to sleep with me. I can't even remember the last time he made this particular request. I said yes because let's face it he may never ask again. We laid there and he poured his heart out to me. This doesn't happen often...usually I have to pry all information out of him. He talked about being made fun of because of who he chooses to be friends with. He picks the kids who have nothing. The kids from messed up homes. The kids with physical and mental disabilities. For some kids he is their only friend. He doesn't see who they aren't, he sees who they are and who they can be. He loves them like Jesus! I'm sure it hurts him to be called names but he makes the choice to not give in to peer pressure. He stays true to himself and his Lord. I am so proud of him!! At the end of our talk he revealed to me that he helped a boy ask Jesus into his heart. He explained that the boy is 11, almost a teenager. Isaac thinks that teenagers are just about the worst creatures out there.LOL The boy has a pretty yucky home life. Isaac is friends with his younger brother. Isaac was talking about Jesus and this boy started asking questions. Isaac gave him the Gospel and the boy asked Isaac to pray with him. Did the boy really get it? I don't know. What I do know is that my little guy is NOT afraid to stand up for his faith! Now I'm not saying my boy is perfect. He has flaws just like all of us. He doesn't like to take responsibilty for his actions, he throws an all out fit when he doesn't get his own way and he tries to use manipulation to get his own way. But all in all I'm pretty impressed with the person he is turning out to be.
Maia has an ortho appt today. She is hoping to get rid of her cast. She is so sick of it. Andy is taking her to the appt on his own. They needed a daddy/daughter day:)I'm hoping he comes back with all the info I need to know!

We got our van back

First of all my pink nano came yesterday. I love it!!! It's so stinking cute!! Now I just have to get it set up and get music on there.
We also got our van back yesterday. It now has air conditioning (hasn't had air for at least 2 years), however the brakes are just not right!! I was the first to drive it and I noticed it right away. We just had our whole brake system replaced not that long ago so it's definitely a result of the crash. We called cheeta chiqiuta (claim co) up right away but it sounds as if she's going to try and fight us on this. I'm not sure why they fixed the air but I'll take it!!! The wreck was worth it just for that:) Andy is very sad that he has to give up the 2008 Grand Prix he's been driving for the last 3 weeks but I THINK he'll survive.
Isaac's first scrimage is this Sunday!!!! Praying he does well, he's one of the senior players on the team this year. Hopefully we're in for some nice days so we can get out and practice our skills!!!!