CRAYOLA CONFUSION!!!

Okay so most of you have already purchased your school supplies as I did for my family, right!! Okay so how many of you actually purchased the Crayola markers?

Well are you in for an awful surprise. Crayola eco-evolution is here!! Huh!? For those of you that didn't catch this here is the scoop...

Black is now green! Yes the barrels are BLACK!! Now I am all for going green and being environmentally friendly. Remember this post! But boy did Crayola miss the boat on this one.

Okay so you have to try to match the tips of the marker with the correct lid sounds easy right!? WRONG! The blues, purples, reds/pinks are almost IDENTICAL. Hey look on the bright side the yellow is very obvious 1 down 9 to go! Good Luck!

So teachers/parents grab a piece of scrap paper and get ready to doodle to find the correct lid!! Oh I feel soooo bad for all the FRUSTRATED teachers!


I sent them an email regarding this so we will follow-up soon!

Owen's 1st Day of KINDERGARTEN

We have been preparing all summer for Owen to start kindergarten and today was the DAY! Last night before bed we read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and gave him a watch that matches his backpack. We kept telling the boys to shut off the light and get to sleep but I think they were too excited for school to start!

Owen is wearing a red/blue polo, skull/crossbones jeans, and his light up puma's. He looks soo handsome.






I loved this pic of Owen running to me! That has to be one of the best feelings in the world!







So we get into the van and I asked Owen the following questions...

1. How was your day? Owen says, It was GREAT!
2. What did you think of your teacher? Owen says, Oh she is pretty! (Oh jeez)
3. Did you have fun playing in the flour? Owen says, YES we all got really dirty and got in the shower and put our clothes in the dryer!

4. What did you say? (As I turn the volume to the radio to OFF!) We took showers as our dirty clothes were drying!

5. What about the other kids/girls in your class? Owen says, Mom we took turns nobody saw me naked!

So I get home and call a friend who has a son in the same class and her son says, We dusted off outside

I call the school and ask for the teacher and proceed to tell her what Owen says as she is BUSTING A GUT!!! She said that has to be one the FUNNIEST stories but NO it is NOT TRUE!!

I confront Owen and he says, Mom I made up a funny story so you would laugh and you were laughing on the phone!!!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS NEXT!!?? Can you believe this is how the 1st day of kindergarten went!!!!!???? What is next?

Our sweet Graycee

Today we celebrate our daughter Graycee's 7th birthday. Our precious angel was born August 13, 2003 at 2:59pm. She weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 inches long. As I look back I am in awe at how we overcame all the obstacles at such a young age and newlyweds none the less. I am thankful that our spiritual connection with god was sooo strong and he guided us through this life changing experience.

I was looking at my calendar to see what/when were some firsts for our new family:

January 28th-1st sonogram
March 15th-Our Wedding
June 5th-Lamaze classes
June 14th and 20th-Baby showers
June 25th-1st time feeling hiccups
July 25th-Last day of work (Pawnee Mental Health)
July 30th-First day in Ferguson Missouri
August 5th-Met Dr. Durer our new OB Dr. (Baby not breech, No C-section)
August 12th-Called Dr. Durer
August 13th-Delivered Graycee
August 14th-Dismissed from hospital
August 16th-Memorial service at 10am
August 18th-Brian started first day of Optometry school

One special book that I look at every year is from our families. As we were giving birth to Graycee our families were writing special notes to us. I cherish those words from each one of them and hold them close. We are so thankful for our family and friends that have supported and loved us. THANK YOU ALL!

As I look at the picture of us smiling with tears in our eyes I can honestly tell you that I feel blessed to have been able to hold her, love her, and spend time with her.

I will end with this scripture:

We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly god loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

-Romans 5:3-5

That's a rap

I saw this on another gals blog and had to share the message with you! What a great message in a unique way!




I am posting this as Owen is singing, "Following Jesus, hey, hey, hey" a song from VBS. Soooo cute!

Computer problems

Okay I know you are all sick and tired of looking at that birthday wreath and I have SOOOOOOO much to blog about but my computer has crashed. Window vista has locked us out and we are taking the computer in to have it fixed. I promise as soon as it is back I will be back to blogging regularly. Here are some highlight from the month:

1. Vacation Bible School
2. Summer Reading program at Library
3. T-ball games
4. Lila is rolling :)
5. Fireworks in Hanover with great-grandparents and Nana
6. OWEN'S 6TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

So look forward to many pics in the coming weeks!

Birthday balloon Wreath

I was doing some blog surfing and found this adorable wreath on several of the blogs. So I had to case it (copy and share everything)! I found all the products at Walmart and Hobby Lobby. The total cost of this project was $22.06 and took me approx. an hour and half. I am very excited to hang it on my door for birthdays! How cute would this be for a baby shower/welcome new baby using It's a girl/boy balloons or school colors for game days!!!


To create this you will follow these directions:

1. A 14-inch straw wreath and be sure to leave the plastic wrapped around it.

2. Balloons- I used approx. 200 balloons that were 12-inch size

3. Floral needles- You will put the balloon inside the needle and push into the wreath.

Owen's birthday is in July and he is getting anxious for the big day! As he was playing on Lego.com yesterday he clicked on the shop now and started copying the words on the page of the toys he wanted. How cute is that list!

Enjoy your weekend!

Memorial Day...My version

So I am going to stick my neck out and talk to you about my thoughts on Memorial weekend. In doing so I am just voicing my opinion and hope that everyone can appreciate, respect, and most of all not be offended. So here goes...

I remember getting soo exciting about Memorial weekend when I was younger. It meant that we were going to have an extra long weekend at the lake house sitting in the sun. We had sooo much fun! We would play sand volleyball, go boating, and drive around golf carts. Let me just say our "lake house" meant a trailer with golf carts, air conditioner, and most of all phone and cable. It was the life!

However all that changed for me when I lost our daughter, Graycee. We now spend it by driving to Manhattan to visit our daughter. We stop by Hobby Lobby and pick out some flowers to replace the winter ones, grab some baby wipes to clean up her head stone, and I sit, cry, and think. My thoughts are always the same; how old she would be, what she would look like, talk like, and how beautiful she was.

Memorial day is for remembering the fallen heroes of our country and I haven't forgotten why we celebrate this holiday! This is just my version of the holiday now. I use this time to reflect on the past and focus on my future with my family. Memorial day is full of raw emotions for me as I feel sad, happy, scared, and thankful all at the same time.

This is Graycee's beautiful headstone that Brian and I created. I remember telling Brian I wanted the sparkly pink vase and him giving me that are you serious look. WE however love the pink vase and he comments on how fitting it is every year! The picture is of our hands. This photo makes me smile! Brian and Graycee have the exact same line pattern on the palm of their hands.

How do you celebrate/remember Memorial weekend?