Dance Dance Dance

Dance photos

Dance, dance, dance

All those weeks of practice for past 9 months have culminated in this recital today. The girls did very well, especially Jenna. This recital was Juliet's debut and she handled herself very well. We are very proud of their dedication to the art and they were both absolutely beautiful!

Great job girls!!!!!

GRADUATION!

HE DID IT!!!!!!

Today, Josh graduated from Waterford Mott High School (photos to follow). We are so proud of him. He is at he all night grad party tonight and will come home around 5am. Great idea to keep grads off the road on graduation night. "Don't Stop Believing".....CLASS OF '07!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS JOSH!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Diane And Gabby

Daddy-Daughter Dance!

The girls and dad enjoyed the annual daddy daughter dance. This was Juliets first "Ball" and she was VERY excited....except I hear, that she wouldn't let Dad dance with Jenna at all!

Sheri's Surprise

When I answered the phone and heard Andy on the line, I had no idea what a blast from the past we were in for. I was so excited to see my long, lost and best friend Sheri! Andy was inviting us to surprise Sheri for her 40th Birthday!

The evening started early for us. I took off work early...Gabby called in and took the Friday night off....and we proceeded to the meeting place and got on the limo-bus.

After everyone arrived and we were waiting in anticipation......Sheri reluctantly "checks out the limo-bus" and is surprised by a bus full of her friends.

We went on to a sports-bar and had dinner and drinks and visited with everyone. Then we went on to a night club and danced like it was 1999! We were transported to our youth and laughed and cried like a bunch of school girls!

Jessie returns!!!!

After a long trip and a few days extra wait....Jessie returns. Her visit was shortened due to the storms in Denver CO, and she had to get back to school, so we didn't have a lot of time to do anything!!!! We basically, picked her up from the airport 1:30am Wednesday morning, and took her back to the airport Sunday morning....We still we able to have some fun!
I love you Jessie!!!!

Josh gets Senior Pictures

Josh has done well this year, with academics, football and now wrestling. He had his first wrestling meet this weekend and did pretty well considering he has never wrestled before and thought that the WWF was wrestling! He has successfully learned that you can't use chairs on your opponent and there is no "ring" with ropes to jump from.....
Anyway, good job Josh!!!

Josh's Football Banquet

Josh had his football banquet on Tuesday night at the new White Lake Oaks banquet hall.

The hall was beautiful and the event was top notch. The food was great, the coaches were humble and sincere.....and the evening lasted 4 hours. All worth it though....so much fun. So sad that Josh is graduating this year.

More baby pics

Baby Pictures!

Hi everyone! What a day today! Michigan lost it's great coach Bo Schembechler today. We have been shocked by this news on the eve of the BIG GAME. Now Bo and Woody can watch the game together from Heaven. Very very sad.

On another note, I have successfully learned how to scan things with my new equipment....YAH! I have scanned some baby pics with my new knowledge.....here is a pic of me from back in the time of the dinosaurs that is amusing if nothing else.

Work is going great and we had a Bocce Ball event last night that was a complete blast! This company is wonderful! Everyone is very fun and nice. They really know how to throw a party too!!!

Go Blue!!!!!

Ballet

This is Juliet's first year in ballet. So far, she loves it. And is keeping up with it. Jenna has dance again this year as well and will have a solo again in the June recital.

Mott Makes the Playoffs!!!

Mott makes the playoffs by beating Kettering 42 go 21!!! We found out tonight they will be paired against Lake Orion (I graduated an L.O. Dragon!) and L.O. is 9-0!! I don't expect Mott will win, but we can always hope....Lake Orion shut out Clarkston last week and Clarkston has a great team!!! Should be fun! Never thougt I would be saying "Go Blue" against the green.....Friday night will be an exciting night!!!!!! Good Luck Corsairs!!! Go # 15!!!!!

Parents Night (Football)

More Pics!

Homecoming!!!

Josh and Kali went to the Homecoming dance and it was a great success! Josh was told he had the coolest shoes at the dance (borrowed from his step-dad)! Here are some photos of the happy couple before the dance. By the way, Mott lost the game in the last 3 minutes....heartbreaking! But Josh had the entire family there to cheer them on and after the game the Band and colorguard had a special exhibit on the field and then the drummers formed a drum line and showed off BIG TIME!!!! They were awesome!!!!! It was a blast for all of us!!!

Jessie turns SWEET 16!!!!

My little Jessie-up turned 16 this week! September 20th is her Birthday that she shared with her Grandpa and Great-Great Grandma! Jessie.....we miss you!!! Hope you had a great day!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

New Job

After two months of working the GRIND at the casino, I have found a new and hopefully better position working as an HR Specialist!!! I am thrilled. I start this week and can't wait to have a normal scedule and work in a professional environment and best yet.....Weekends and Holidays OFF!!!! YEAH!!! I am so happy....!!!!

5 Years Ago

A day to reflect on the loss we sustained 5 years ago today. The memories are haunting. So much lost and so much has changed forever. Bless all those souls that were lost that day and bless every American as we mourn and remember with resolve to move forward as a free nation forever......God Bless!

Princess Juliet

Has it been a month?

Wow! Has it been over a month since I have last written?? It is September and so much has been going on. Jessie went to Oshawa (Canada) to visit relatives and will be resuming school in New Mexico in the next couple of weeks. We miss her sooo much! Juliet has FINALLY mastered "pooping" on the toilet. We mark 1.5 months of poopy-free panties! Life is good!!!! Cheyenne is still eating most of Juliets toys so I have learned to stash away the expensive or sentimental ones on the top shelf of the closet for her children to play with someday. We need a bigger house!!!!!!!
I still hate work and threaten to quit every day I work. It is driving Gabby nuts. I am too old to be exposed to such angry, unhappy people. Nothing like being called "the Devil, Satan, and JQIUZZZZZ (must be Arabic for bitch)". I am not used to being so hated by strangers. My thin skin is turning thicker!!!

School has started for the kids and we are already into our routine of "I don't have any homework today".........I understand violence now.......

That is all! Happy September everyone!!!!!!

How old am I???

Yesterday, the girls posted "2 Days until Mom turns 40!!!" on our message board.....
Don't think I am not feeling "40".....but the truth is, Mom is turning 39. Thinking '40', feeling '40', but still '39'. I am very in tune with the fact that I reach that milestone in one short year and believe me, I am not happy about that!!!
They made me a cake last night wishing me a Happy Birthday, and have been corrected on my true age. I guess the cake stuck to the bottom of the pan (they forgot to spray the pan) and they ended up having to dismantle the cake to get it out of the pan, and then "glue" it back together with frosting.....Here are some photos of their creation process....and then the finished product.....the cake.....
THANKS GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Night Owl

My new schedule is relentless. I have yet to figure out how and when to sleep and I am pretty sure it is NOT when I am driving! Mom has been helping with the kids and we have simultaneously been on vacation camping. Lots of juggling. The kids are all doing very good. They are cooperating and helping and making me very proud of them as I know this isn't easy on them either. Today, I am off and we plan to go to the beach and have some real fun.

The New Job

I am officially starting my new job in the casino industry this coming Monday. It will be part time, but with travel, full time....should be interesting! This proves to be one of the larger nightmares in my life of turmoil! Josh has been working at Taco Bell for 6 months now and is going to football practice almost every day. Jessie is in a constant state of boredom (when we don't pay good money for entertainment) and has the typical "teenager" attitude which she has lovingly (?) passed down to her two younger siblings. You should hear my 3 year old (Juliet) tell me that "it really burns my ass".....She will be the hit of daycare!!! I never imagined having the kid in daycare who talks like a sailor and teaches all the little tykes the "f" word! Jenna is growing up super fast and her biggest daily dilemmas include "when can I go on-line?" and "am I a 'Goth' or a girly-girl?"....

As far as the dog goes....we are currently not on speaking terms. She is evil and obviously out to make my life Hell on earth. She has eaten everything of value including my sofa. She is a beast. Life after vacation is so complex! Next week is vacation #2 which is a canoe trip up North. I will be working (but don't have my schedule yet)...so I will become a visitor on the canoe trip. Should be fun for Gabby....all those kids to entertain.....hey, I might not be able to find my way up there on my days off......what a dream!!!

Disney World!!!!

Hello all!
We have returned from our fabulous Disney Resort vacation and we are doing great! It was a trip of a lifetime and we all had a ton of fun!!! I will post some photos. Other than some rain, we had 7 days of non-stop fun and had to come home to get some rest. Our resort was unbelievable.....I loved it! We were treated so well there and soaked up all the great scenery. Back to the real world.....I did get tired of people telling us to "Have a Magical Day"....My favorite overheard conversation was at the Animal Kingdom....A mom and dad were fighting over something while pushing two strollers and dealing with some bad weather...the mom says, "I don't like your attitude"....the dad says "I don't like your's either!" The mother-in-law says "Neither one of you are giving a Magical Answer! We are supposed to be having a Magical Day!!!" They all laughed and seemed to snap back into a Magical mood! I loved it!!!! (considering Gabby and I were starting to pick on each other too!)

Juliet and Luna

Cheyenne

Cheyenne is getting so big! We might have to buy a larger house to accomodate her! She is proving to be a big responsibility, but also a lot of fun. This little baby is quickly becoming a horse!

Kelly

Kelly is having a girl!!! We missed her shower but went to visit her anyway! She looks great and is positively glowing! Congratulations Kelly and Mike!