A New Beginning.....

As I look at the beautiful sunrise this morning, I have been trying to decide whether or not to make this post? After a tough week I thought that if sad memories need to be remembered. I look at today as a New Beginning, A fresh start, that is the way I have decided to look at it.


This is the house where I spent my teenage years, this house was full of fun memories and sad ones too! At the beginning of the year when my parents told me that it was going into foreclosure I couldn't help but feel angry. I think that I was most angry that they tried to keep it a secret, that they didn't come to me for help until it was too late. With my dads health the last few years getting worse and my mom trying to do everything herself I guess it just got to be too much. As I helped go through things and get ready for a yard sale We laughed a little cried a lot, and found lots of fun things:

My mom and dad on their wedding day, they look so happy I'm glad they didn't know that day how hard their lives were going to be! Not too long after this my dad was run over by a tractor and paralyzed. They have been through so much yet they are still strong and such examples to me!

Here is a picture of my Grandma and Grandpa on my dads side!

My Grandma and Grandpa on my moms side!

The chess set my dad made when he was a teenager, and in amazingly great shape!

The old wooden desk, not sure where it came from, it has always been around, and my Grandpa's Indian Blanket.

The little red chair that was my dads when he was little. It seems to be indestructible? We will see at my house?? For some reason I just couldn't let someone buy these things they all have so many memories attached to them I had a feeling of dread when someone would look at them to buy, I finally had to haul them out to my car? My Rubik cube that my mom made me, though not really a "cube" anymore. Joel is loving using it as a pillow!

My grandpa's dresser. I guess I need to clean the mirror? These are a few of the things that seemed to make it home to my house plus a few toys and other odds and ends. It was sad to see people come in and go through my parents stuff But as I think about it now it is a relief to them to not have all that "stuff" anymore to not have the stress of a morgage anymore to be able to start over with a fresh start. So as I sit here teary eyed I think that this is a good thing, a new beginning!

Crazy Hair and Joel's Birthday!

We are finally having a birthday for Joel! Not quite a month late, with everyone being sick and just the usual? I know NO EXCUSES! But anyway here he is helping crush the "dirt" for his cake he wanted. So Happy #5 Joel!!


My goal was to actually buy a new dump truck but I guess it is the wrong time of year for them because there were none to be found! So I spent the morning before his party boiling water and trying to dig the old one out of the biggest snow drift in the whole yard!? Then washing it out because of course it was full of real dirt and frozen to the ground! It was funny though because Joel knew the exact spot to start our digging and he was right on!

After scrubbing it clean I lined it with tin foil Just in case. I thought that my turned out pretty good If I do say so myself! Joel didn't really care for the pink candles but again they were all I could find in the drawer. He doesn't like anything that is even remotely girl, He is ALL boy that's for sure!

Hunter, Casey, and Joel getting ready to enjoy the dirt! Joel decided that he wanted to go sledding for his Birthday, the last few birthdays have been hard getting family together so we thought the kids should at least have a friend party!

This is a really bad picture and I should delete it but oh well?

Casey and Joel made it to the bottom!

It was crazy hair day at school so here are the girls with their crazy hair, a LOT of ratting and hairspray!

Joel looks so happy! Yes we did get it all washed out and looking normal again! Delaney also was asked to ride her unicycle for the Kindergarten Class that day too, They all thought she looked like a clown with her crazy hair! She was riding it down the halls and was the star of the school for a little while!

Jungle Book

The girls were in the Play The Jungle Book put on by the Missoula Children Theater! Here is Delaney (in the dark brown) she is a wolf in case you couldn't tell


Cienna was part of KAA the snake.

Here is the entire cast of about sixty kids ranging from kindegarden to about 12th grade! There were two people to get this all put together in just 5 days!?

After makeup the wolf and the snake. They had so much fun!

Cienna at dress rehersal.

Delaney saying her part

Cienna listening to BALOO the bear tell the tale.

here she is again

"remember my line, remember my line!"

BALOO singing a song. It was such a fun night, Joel was sure upset about not being a monkey but maybe next year- the only bad thing is it will be a different play! It was a long week, Mike was gone to cheyenne for meetings and I had meetings here, I'm glad I have family and friends willing to help me out! We slept in this morning and we have one more show this afternoon then back to normal- whatever that means!?

Delaney FINALLY get Her Birthday Party!

She decided that che wanted cupcakes for her birthday so she made them all herself! She is getting way to grown up!


I was trying to show the screen she actually got the best score out of all of us! Hoorah for Delaney!

Delaney giving the ball a good luck hug.

Mike took one of me from across the room, I guess thats a good thing though!

Daddy watchin is ball to see if a got a strike? I think that is was almost a gutter ball!

Hunter- this is Joel's friend that got to come with us, they sure had a fun time together.

Joel had fun, it is a good thing that he is tough and can hold that heavy ball!

Delaney taking a good shot!

Here are the girls in Delaney's class! We loaded everyone up and headed to Lovell for an afternoon of Bowling. She only had to wait a month to have her friend party with mom and dad down and out and Christmas and everything else going on there just wasn't a good day until now. But good things come to those who wait! It was a fun afternoon It is fun to see the girls enjoying their friends! Happy 10th Birthday my Sweet Delaney!

Christmas program

Delaney at the Christmas program (4th Grade 10 yrs)! She was so excited to be able to the "ribbon" dance! She has been waiting for this dance since preschool! She is getting so grown up!


Cienna (3rd grade 8 yrs)! She had a lot of fun with her recorder and the fun dances they did!

Joel (4yrs almost 5 and in pre-k) his first program he was so excited to be a soldier! and a "present" under the tree! I also had some video but I can't get it to upload! so this is a pretty boring post, but it has some pretty darn cute kids in though!

sledding

We got snow FINALLY!!! the wind came with it a blew in the drifts, my van finally got dug out the other day.


We went sledding with some friends. We have a hill at the ranch that got flooded with water and is now ice the whole way down the hill! Talk about an awesome sledding adventure!

our friends daughter Abby having fun going down.

Joel getting warm by the fire and roasting a marshmallow, we also did hot dogs and hot chocolate of course!

And of course we did rides behind the 4-wheeler.

Sydney and Cienna enjoying the hot cocoa

Mike and I took a turn! of course he made me ride in front and get my face full of snow! Such a loving man.

friends around the fire! it was sure a fun day. We have actually gone quite a few times I think that the accident with the ice will become a perment thing every year!

Deck the Halls!!!

Here are some of the cousins kids on Mike's side of the family. Not all but quite a few! This was taken on Thanksgiving after they broke the pinata!


We made gingerbread houses, Mike and Joel had a little trouble getting theirs together! You can't see in the picture but they had toothpicks and other stuff holding the roof up! But I have to say it turned out pretty cute!

You can tell Cienna likes profection! She took her time and with a little help from mom it looked great!

Delaney did great on hers, when it started to fall she just poured on more and more frosting! It worked! They all are still standing, minus a few of the candies!!

Delaney and Joel spent most of the afternoon making a snowman! It was getting dark when they finally told me they were done! You can kind of see it's face, They said they couldn't find anything to make a face for it so they just dug out a few holes! They had a great time!

The tree is decked, and the presents are still wrapped-- so far!

The punch tree is counting down the days til santa comes! So exciting! When Joel counts we still have about "62 Days" left! So the girls help him recount! Excitment is in the air. Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!