Dixie's birthday!

Dixie turned...25!!!! YEP!! Can you believe it???? It seemed like just yesterday I was helping her get ready for her 6th grade dance!!!

Some of you know she is temporarily living in Colorado Springs, CO for school. She will be back after Christmas though. She was able to come home on her birthday weekend though and so Saturday night (her birthday was Sunday the 24th), her and Tanner came over and we had hotdogs and YUMMY Tanner made burgers! They even brought their own cake!!! That made me feel like a slacker...but we had had a garage sale all day long, and we had Mickey Live that day too....it was a CRAZY day! Anyway....they brought a cake from Cold Stone! Can't argue with that!!!

We had a great time! Happy Birthday Dixie! Thanks for celebrating with us!!!!!

Random Happenings

For a couple days I watched a friends 3 children while her sitter was out of town at a conference. Here is Major and little Noah Zellmer having a great time with bubbles!!!! Here is sweet Kaili painting the gourds I bought them. Toby was on my back most of the time, so I didn't get any pictures of him!

Jeff surprised me one night with a dozen pink roses. He can be sweet sometimes!! :-)

Here are my table centerpieces. Deana surprised me one day with the other pretty plant! I have some great people in my life don't I?

Deana's husband Rich had gotten tickets...accidentely...(long story), to the Opera for the Cure. It is an opera that funds the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They sing about boobies...and losing them...dying...surviving...etc. He really didn't feel like going, so he gave the tickets to Deana and I to use! I thought it would be fun...Deana and I going out alone...NO KIDS! So...that day, MaKenna had a birthday party to attend at Doodlecakes. She is allergic to eggs and peanuts, so she couldn't eat the cakes...but she could decorate them! They gave each child a cake to frost and decorate. Then she brought it home for us to eat!!! Here it is!!!

Here is Deana and I after the Opera for the Cure. I have a plan to make her eat more too.....

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 2010

October 3rd was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Omaha! We had a great turnout!! We had a total of 33 team members...which is up by about 20 from last year!! About 20 or so turned up to actually walk!! I was VERY excited!! We actually had EVERYONE that walked for our team in the team picture! I STILL haven't received the team picture yet...but I will post it, if and when we do. I say IF...because they never got it to me last year. They promised me that wouldn't be the case this year though...I guess time will tell.

Anyway, we started out in first place for raising money...and we have ended in 3rd place...which is really good considering that that is for the ENTIRE state of Nebraska!! And my sister Rhonda got first place for individual raising money...for the ENTIRE state of Nebraska!! GREAT JOB RHONDA...and GREAT JOB TEAM MAMA'S FAMILY!!!! Here is Kayla, Brooke, Major (in stroller), Cam, Uncle Tanner, Scott, Melissa, Sam, MaKenna and Percy.
Here is Brooke, Kayla, Cam, Shawn, Uncle Tanner, Scott and Melissa.

Here is Travis Hoops, Nehemiah (in stroller), Lydia (in sling), Deana and Hannah.

Uncle Tanner and Major decided to take a walk....

Hannah and MaKenna walking behind Cam and Shawn.

Jan, Dad and Mike. Yes...they are holding hands...YUCK! :-) It's just wrong when it is your parent!!!

Major and Uncle Tanner.

RaChelle and Travis Hoops!

Percy (pushing stroller...bless her heart), Melissa, Dad, Mike, RaChelle and Travis.

MaKenna and I with Deana and Lydia.

Jan and Dad. They weren't fiance's yet...but later that day they would become fiances.

Rhonda and Tonya...the sisters of Mama's Family. Rest in peace Mama....

Boy...she is like way skinnier than me isn't she??? Guess I have more work to do!! :-) See...you think I mean exercise...but my work is to actually get her to eat more! :-) Just kidding....not really...yes I am!!!

This is poor MaKenna after the race. We looked all over for her and we found her on the kitchen table bench against the wall. Thank goodness for Major who is short and found her! :-) She was plumb tuckered out!

All in all we had a fantastic day!!! The only bummer was that I had 2 bags stolen from the Civic Center...but they were bags full of free stuff. I can't imagine why anyone would want to steal these bags of free stuff when the free stuff was a mere few feet away and they could have gotten the free stuff without stealing someone elses bags...which were also free. Oh well...I guess I will never understand some people. Other than that, we had a fantastic day. We had a great banner too that said Mama's family on it this year. I missed the picture of it though! :-( The photographer got one...but...who knows if he will ever send those pictures to me. I hope he does!!!

Vala's Pumpkin Patch with MaKenna's Class

A couple weeks ago I got the opportunity to go on MaKenna's field trip with her. Major got to go too...and we had TONS of fun!!!! We had walking club at school that morning...so we had already walked 2 miles by 8:30am! We were ready to walk further though at the Pumpkin Patch. We went to Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna. Here is MaKenna...ready to go!! Her first OFFICIAL school bus ride...and she gets the BACK seat!! Oh the luck!!!!

Myself and two other mom's drove seperately as there was no room in the bus for all of the chaperones. That was a fun drive! The three of us have a great time together. RaChelle Hoops and Melissa Richert! Go girls!

Here is a cute picture of our group. Melissa and I had only 4 girls in our group. Zoe, MaKenna, Percy and um...I don't remember her name....sorry. She is in Percy's class.....and MaKenna and Percy are in different classes.

I thought this was a great air photo of MaKenna!

Here they are on the spider web...waiting for the hayrack ride to go get their pumpkins!

"Mator" as he calls himself...got himself a "wittle punkin".

Here are the girls with their little pumpkins too!!!

Percy suggested sitting here in front of the flowers. GREAT picture!!!!

Vala's had a new attraction this year. It is a sandbox with corn kernels in it!! VERY COOL...unless you are allergic to corn of course.

Then the kids hit the pillows! Here is Major flying through the air!!!

We couldn't leave without hitting the tricycle track!!! Here is MaKenna!

Here comes Major...who still won't pedal!

Here is "Mator" trying to be scary!!!!

Here is Mrs. Kite and her sweet 2010-2011 Kindergarten class at Vala's Pumpkin Patch!

Simply Spray Review!

The family also got to Review Simply Spray fabric paints! We had a graet time trying to make tye dye shirts!!! This was our finished product! The next ones will be better!! We had fun trying though!!!!

Mickey's Roadshow Live!

US Family Guide, recently gave me the opportunity to see Mickey's Roadshow Live! They offered me 4 tickets free of charge to review and blog about my experience at the show! Knowing that I have 4 children and if we made it a family event, I would need 2 more tickets, I e-mailed and asked how I might get 2 more tickets next to the 4...and how much extra that would cost me. I was TOTALLY okay paying for 2 tickets...I mean, I was getting 4 for free. The thought never even occured to me that they may give me 2 more tickets for free...but they did!!! I couldn't believe it! That is what I call a stand up organization! They REALLY catered to my individual needs and I am SO appreciative for that! Not only that but the tickets were fantastic! Floor tickets are always more expensive...but I can't say that I understand that....you can't see anything from the floor. I always get Jimmy Bob sitting in front of me with a big gallon cowboy hat on, so I can never see anything and the kids can't either...so I would MUCH rather be up a little higher which is where we were. Like I said, FANTASTIC seats! Major sat in AWE of everything...no smiles...just awestruck! Once in awhile he would lift up his hands and clap a little bit! MaKenna was like that also...until Cinderella came out....THEN she LIT UP like a Christmas tree!!!!

It has a great plot. It was about Mickey Mouse wanting to have a talent show....so he and his friends had to go all over trying to find talent for the talent show. They traveled by land, by sea, and by air.


They found Tigger, Cinderella and her step sisters, the toy soldiers, Buzz Lightyear and Woody!



Of course the usual guys...Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie were also there. We had a great time! The sound was fantastic...the seating and lighting were fabulous...and at Intermission I even saw a friend from church and her kids!

Everything was FANTABULOUS! But...if I had to have a negative thought, it would be the items available for purchase. I bought my kids nachos because the show as at noon...they were hungry. That is really all I could afford. I know that anytime you go to a colisseum of any sort you will pay through the teeth for food and drink...that I understand. And I even understand WHY their items were expensive...I mean after all...it is Disney. You pay for the brand more than the item...but...even though I didn't pay for the show, most people do...and after paying for the show which is expensive, who can afford all of the fun items? See...they know they get you because you are there, and the kids will beg and beg for things. And you want to get these things for them because it is a fun event, and you want your kids to be happy...but you almost have to take a second mortgage out on your house to afford them. Okay..maybe that is a bit far fetched...but you could EASILY drop an extra $100 on these events, on just food, drink and items alone.
So...that said, the show itself was absolutely wonderful! I have 4 kids. The 11 year old LOVED it...the 6 year old LOVED it...the 2 year old LOVED it....the 9 year old wants to be just like daddy...so since daddy...the hunter-gatherer, wasn't thrilled, neither was the 9 year old. But...later on...when hunter-gatherer wasn't around, the 9 year old said that he wanted to go back! So...only the hunter-gatherer was a fuddiduddi!! :-) So....5 out of 6 ain't bad!!!

SO FAR BEHIND....but had to share...

I am SO far behind on blogging! I hope to catch up THIS weekend sometime...though I am not sure when...but I am going to TRY!! Anyway...I just had to share a couple of funnies....

Today I was walking with Major to school for storytime. I always ask him questions like what color is the grass...what color is the sky...stuff like that. So I said,

"Major...what color is the sun."
He thought about it and said,
"Bright."

Well kid...I guess if that were a color....that is what the sun would be!! :-)

I also find it cute that everytime we read a book....when we are done, he closes it and says, "AMEN!"

Apparently every book we read is a prayer! Such a sweetie!

Did I ever tell you about Jake and the hot sauce??

We were having Mexican food....we were out of hot sauce. He likes Mild...the only one in the family that likes it hotter is Jeff. So, Jake goes to the cabinet to grab another hot sauce. He grabbed the "medium" hot sauce. Knowing he wouldn't like it, I said,

"Oh, Jake honey...that is medium."
He says, VERY SERIOUSLY,
"Oh...okay...well, where is the small?"

Oh Jakey...my Jakey.....

Free Vinyl Wall Art

http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.com/2010/10/free-vinyl-wall-art-from-love-letterings/

Free Vinyl Wall Art!!! Make sure you head on over!!!

MaKenna's 6th birthday!

I forgot to mention in the Pinkalicious post that it was the day before MaKenna's 6th birthday that we went! It was kinda a birthday present!! She had a great weekend that is for sure!!! So, on Sunday...the 26th of September...it was actually her 6th birthday!! So we had her party after church on Sunday!! You don't get to celebrate your birthday on weekends very often, so this was a great opportunity to do so!!

As usual Deana made her cake and this years theme was MERMAIDS!!! Look at this incredible cake!!!! Here is the lunch spread!! Not too shabby for a Sunday luch right???

Emily helped me make the Octopi. What do you think? Some of the kids wouldn't eat them because they didn't "look right". I thought it was pretty creative!!! :-)

More on her birthday party later!!!!

Pinkalicious - The Musical!

I was given the opportunity to take my precious baby girl MaKenna to see Pinkalicious. I had enough tickets for the family, but Jeff just didn't think the boys would like it. It wasn't until after the show that I realized they would have loved it! There were a lot of brothers and dads there. Just because the name had Pink in it...didn't mean it wasn't for everyone. But...we still had a great time...in fact...we probably had a BETTER time because we made it a girls night and invited my sister Rhonda and my nieces Brooke and Kayla to take the boys' tickets!!

We started the night at Applebee's....a girls out dinner! It was really good! We had a great meal. Then we headed downtown for the show which was playing at the Rose Theater! The girls had a great time...Rhonda and I had a great time...it was all over just a great night!!!

See...it is pictures like this that you can't tell I lost 20 pounds. I mean...really??? Did I really lose 20 pounds or is the scale lying to me?? Maybe Jeff fixed the scale so I would stop complaining about it? I mean...it really makes me mad. I am in the same clothes...and to me...I look the same. So...where was that 20 pounds that miraculously went away? Anyway....here are us girls...having a "pink" night!!!

Stairsteps...MaKenna, Brooke and Kayla.