The Good Things in Life

2011-07-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had such an amazing vacation. 1st stop VEGAS to see Lisa & the boys; 3 days at Disneyland! This was the girls 1st trip to Disney and well worth the wait. We went over the 4th so we got to see an AMAZING firework show in the park with a special tribute.

After Disney we headed down to San Diego and spent 1 day at Sea World and had dinner w/ Shamu, 1 day at the Zoo and got a special behind the scenes tour and we relaxed on the beach our last day. We then made the long trek home but making a quick stop in Portland (17 hours from San Diego) to have lunch with mom, dad, Bryce & G'Peg. Finally home Saturday evening. It was a vacation to remember & we can't wait till next summer!

2010-07-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Had an amazing time in Washington. Ocean Shores~Mariner's game~Ikea~Forks and best of all LaPush!!! Someday I will move there & live on 2nd beach!!!!!! We had lots of laughs that involved mice, fireworks, crazy phrases & many other things. We ate a TON (mostly hot dogs) and slept a little but it was well worth it. Thanks mom & dad for the great time.

2010-06-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

What a way to end the school year. Lots of friends & parties.

Miranda is now a 4th grader and ended her year with all As. Mikayla is an official Freshman at Nampa High and achieved her 4.0. She has worked so hard and we are sooo proud of both girls. We are ready to enjoy summer. We are planning on exploring the Treasure Valley. There is so much beauty here and we are going to embrace it. Here is to another great school year. We have had amazing teachers, principals and of course friends.

2010-05-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic night. It was Mikayla's Shining Stars 8th grade graduation. The teachers put on an amazing ceremony. Each student was recognized. There was an amazing slidshow which brought tears to my eyes. LoneStar is such an amazing school the staff & teachers are incredible. Hard to believe that Mikayla will be in high school. We will miss the school but luckily I have 1 more that will be able to experience the amazing educations that the teachers & staff bring to each & every kid. So proud of Mikayla. She has made so many friends and has had such an incredible year.

2010-05-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

2010-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Lone Star 2010 Track!!!!
I had the privilege to work with some amazing kids. I was assistant coach for Mikayla's Middle School track team. We had a great season & did well at districts. Mikayla placed 11th in her 200m and improved her time to 30.30~ It was a windy, rainy, hail, crazy storm, dusty and a little bit of sunny season. But the kids made it so much fun. We finished the season at districts in Mountain Home 2 days of cold & fun. I am so blessed to be apart of it. Go Longhorns!

Weiser River Relay

2010-04-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today we ran 31 miles as a relay team. It was amazing. Perfect weather & perfect friends = PRICELESS!!!

Kyleigh~Korene~Me~Erin~Jenny

2010-04-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

2010-04-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2010!!
Hard to believe it is coming to an end. Mikayla's last spring break as a middle schooler. Next year she will be in High School! WOW This time next year Miranda will be about to turn double digits! CRAZY how fast time flies. The girls have had a great week w/ friends & keeping busy. We went roller skating & then ice-skating. Craziness. Lots of sleepovers & lots & lots of movies. It has been an amazing week. Thank God school is starting back up. Back to my routine & track! :) Oh yea

I DID IT!!!!

2010-01-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

WOW! What an amazing experience. Team In Training has been incredible. I just finished the winter season and have learned so much! I had the honor to go to Phoenix to run in my first marathon. I crossed the finish line at 4 hours 59 minutes and 36 seconds. Yeah!! I was hoping to finish it in 5:30 so to do it under 5 hours is AMAZING!!!! As a team we raised over $61,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

2009-12-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone already if you can believe that one. We had a wonderful Christmas and Santa was very good to each of us. The tree and decorations are put away and the house is all cleaned up. We are ready to start an exciting 2010! I hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas and has a safe New Year!

2009-12-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Spirit Week at LSMS! Day 1 mix & match day - I say she accomplished that one Day 2 Character day - mighty cute Rudolph Day 3 Pajama Day - nice & warm Day 4 Sports Day - Oh Yea that's my girl Day 5 - School Spirit Day - she will be in her cheer uniform.
They have a big assembly that she is putting on with her Leadership class & then a talent show that she also gets to run w/ her leadership class. She is gonna have a fun & busy day.
Miranda is excited cause it is pajama day & movie day at her school. She will also be having an all school sing a long. What a fun fun way to start Christmas break!

2009-12-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Look who is 14! Wow the year just flew by. She had a fantastic day. Flowers delivered at school, friends over for dinner, bunch of friends met for the movie & shopping all day the next day!

2009-12-06T20:46:00.001-08:00

What a great time we had at the Be the Difference Benefit dinner & silent auction. The kids worked so hard & did amazing. We raised over $1300! I am so blessed with how many amazing people I have in my life. A BIG thank you to Nonie & Dave Gonelli; Jennifer & Scott Loutzenhiser; Rodney & Lori Lemke; Jonny; Missy; Ryan; Tyler; Kyle; Jana; Cali; Liz Smith; Toni Smith; Zach Smith; St. Paul's Church; Father Jerry & a HUGE HUGE thank you to the St. Paul's Boy Scouts.

2009-12-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

2009-12-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in Washington for Thanksgiving. We did get to go to Forks & LaPush on Friday. Instead of shopping I was looking for Edward! :)
It was great being with everyone. We had a table that sat 24 and every seat was filled. What an amazing holiday. Thanks mom & dad! Time went so fast we did a little shopping on base and then off to the airport early Sunday morning to come home. Now I need to get ready for Christmas. After my benefit dinner on Friday I will get the house all decorated and festive.

2009-11-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween 2009

It has come & gone just like that. The girls had an amazing night. Great friends and lots of candy. Can't go wrong with that can you?! After taking Miranda & Cali trick or treating we headed to the Attaway's for a fun party. There were 25 teenagers there WOW glad it was at their house! hahahhaahaha just joking they are all amazing kids. I hope everyone had a great & safe day.

2009-09-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

School is in full swing now! The girls are so enjoying their classes & friends. Miranda even got some new glasses that she loves & looks absolutely adorable in. Last weekend Mikayla's cheerleading had a Mom/Cheer Zumba class. OMG Zumba & me hmmmmmmm Yea I have no rhythm. But it was great we had to match mother/daughter & this is what we came up with. Mikayla's shirt said "She is NOT my mother" and mine was "That is SOOOO my cheerleader" hahahahahha we did win best outfit w/ 2 other mom/daughter's! =) Yea it was fun. It is a great start to a wonderful year. I look forward to many football & basketball games to see Mikayla cheer. I look forward to all of Miranda's Girl Scout adventures. We are going roller skating for a Girl Scout night next month can't wait!

2009-08-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

1st day of school has come & gone!
Both girls had a great day. Miranda is a 3rd grader and Mikayla is an 8th grader.

Summer

2009-08-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

WOW hard to believe that the kids start school next week. Where did the summer go? We had lots of fun - swimming-lake-outside movie nights and of course lots & lots of friends.

2009-03-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

What an amazing Spring Break!!!!! Can anyone say TWILIGHT?

I took Mikayla, Miranda & Ryan to Washington to see my mom & then we headed to Forks & LaPush!!! It was sooooo awesome! We are definitely going back this summer. The girls are excited to get back to school to brag to all their friends about their trip! We also did go to Seattle & Ikea of course had lots of fun.

2009-03-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Big Day for Troop 31! They got to go & meet Mayor Tom Dale and

watch him as he signed the Proclamation for the City of Nampa to celebrate Girls Scout week.
Each girl got a City of Nampa pin & they were able to ask him questions. And leave it to my little one to ask..... "How do you get a law?" Mayor Dale was Wow great questions. As you can see from the the picture above she loves Politics & is obsessed w/ Abe Lincoln as if no one knew that. I am thinking I will have a president someday! :)

2009-03-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Treasure Valley Cheer Competition!

LoneStar did AMAZING! They placed 3rd out of the 5 Large squads. They nailed every lift & did not miss a beat! We are soooooo proud of them. They had a fantastic time & can't wait until next year to do it again. The stunt group did place 1st so that was incredible also. Wow cheering competitions is something to see. We stayed to watch the High Schools & WOW they are fantastic. The lifts they do & the stunts is crazy. Mikayla is already thinking of what she will do for next years stunt team that she plans to be on! I am proud of her for her commitment & enthusiasm for cheering. It is nice to have a break from it but it was worth it.

2009-02-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Miranda is so excited, we got her 1st Communion dress. She feels like a princess. She has spent 2 years preparing for this event. 1 more month for the big day. Expect lots of pictures!

2009-02-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Miranda and Courtney had a great day. They went to the Nampa High Cheer Clinic this morning from 8-1 and then tonight they went to the basketball game & performed during 1/2 time. They did fantastic & Miranda is ready for next year! The cheerleaders were so sweet & did a great job w/ the girls!

2009-02-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

Mikayla's 1st school dance! Valentine's Dance & it was Semi-Formal. She traded babysitting w/ our neighbor Donna for her to do her hair! They all had a great time! Mikayla even got candy from Nate! He is a sweet boy he came up to me & asked if he could dance w/ her! :)

2009-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

Look who's birthday was today! Just in case you did not know!

We surprised Miranda with a cake & some ice-cream to celebrate her favorite presidents 200th birthday!

2009-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

We decided to a bit of remodeling. Here is our kitchen during the process and the after! LOVE LOVE my new kitchen!!!!!

2009-02-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Look who is Top 5 for Mrs. Labrum's 2nd Quarter class. Yup then she was chosen for the Top Student of the class! She was very very excited about that one. She got a free dinner at Red Robin so we are gonna go & celebrate. Miranda & her friends Alexis & Cali.

2009-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

What a busy afternoon. Mikayla had cheerleading for boys basketball. And then we rushed over to see Miranda.

She had her quarter awards ceremony for Brownies. She got a ton of badges & had a great time. She read to the group about a flower and then we all got to each a potluck. Darn she got new badges that means know I have to sew. DARN you know how much I love to sew. UGH. So after a fun afternoon I am tired. I am relaxing fighting w/ my wireless network & catching up on my dvr. Gotta love the dvr. Tomorrow is Friday so I am ready for it. We are in the middle of remodeling the kitchen & I think it is demo day tomorrow! :) Yea it should be fun!

2009-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is from Stephanie Meyer's Website! Yea I am counting the days & yes I already pre-ordered mine!

The Twilight DVD will be released on Saturday, March 21st. Although I'm sure most of you have already pre-ordered your 'Special Edition' DVD's by now, I thought I would post the special feature information that Summit sent in case you haven't seen it anywhere else yet:

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC ONE
Five extended scenes with director introductions
Audio commentary (Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart)
Three music videos (Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park)
SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC TWO
Five deleted scenes with director introductions
Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
Comic-Con Phenomenon featurette
And more!

So, if you have not pre-ordered the movie already, you can click here to do so. Have a great day — just 10 weeks left until you can watch Twilight in the comfort of your own home!

2009-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Well we had a fun way to close a nice & long Christmas break. We went bowling with Ryan & her family. We had a blast. Little Miss Miranda beat her mom in 2 games! Can you believe that? I guess all her Wii bowling with Grandma has paid off. The girls had such a fun time. It was Cali's 1st time ever bowling. It was a great break and the girls had a great time. BUT I am sooo ready for the girls to be back to school. I am ready to get back to our organized schedule! tee-hee. This week we have gymnastics and Brownies! YEA back to the real world and bonus my house might actually stay clean and food might stay in my cupboard! On another note. I have 1 more week left to work full-time. Back to my banker's schedule and I will be off at 3:00.

2008-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well can you believe that Christmas has come & gone again? I hope everyone had a great day. I do hope Santa was good to everyone. He did come & visit our house. Sweet girls of mine were up at 3 a.m. but they were smart & did not come to wake us up until 6:45. By 2 Miranda was out and asleep on the floor up in her room. hahahha Our tree is down and decorations put away. We are looking forward to 2009. I wish everyone well. Santa was nice enough to put movie tickets in my stocking so guess where Mikayla & I went today?? YUP to see TWILIGHT!! OMG it just gets better each time we see it. Mandy & Brittney went with us. We had such a great time.

2008-12-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Wow what a week! We survived it! Here are some pictures from the week. 1) Mikayla's talent show 2) Miranda's class party 3) Cheer Party at the house. That was all Friday. Saturday Miranda had a cookie decorating party. I think we are partied out! But the girls had fun & that is all that matters!

Elf Dance

2008-12-18T21:11:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2008-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Miranda had her Girl Scout skating party tonight. What a fun time she had. They remodeled the Rollerdrome & they were the very first ones to see all the changes. The much needed changes! Her friend Lexi from Sunday School and Dance was there. They are not in the same troop but got to hang out tonight. Huge treat. Miranda is really good at skating she did take a bunch of falls but gets right back up. She had hot dog & a drink for dinner there & back to skating. We are so happy to have found the troop she is in. It is right at her school. Perfect! Just a heads up that in the next month or so she will start pre-ordering Girls Scout Cookies so get me your orders! :) Hmm I love Girl Scout Cookies!!!!!!!!

2008-12-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

What a fun party Mikayla had. They watched Little Shop of Horrors, made sundae's and danced the night away. Instead of gifts Mikayla asked everyone to bring in can foods for the food bank. We had 51 items to bring in! WOW!

2008-12-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

Look who turned 13 today! Wow! She had an amazing day. Her friends got the entire lunch room to sing to her. Her teachers embarrassed her! :) Then I had her to go to the Rec Center with me while Miranda had swim lessons & they even told her Happy Birthday! While we were out Andy went & picked up Ryan & they went to get an ice-cream cake. We surprised Mikayla w/ a mini surprise party. Can't believe Ryan was sooo good all week & did not spill it! Good job Ryan. So needless to say w/ all the fantastic gifts. Chheuv got her $50 (OMG) mom & dad $13 & the comforter set she wanted for her room, Penny & Joe $20, Ryan candy & $15 gift card and us Vest, shirt, Twilight shirt, necklace stickers & keychain. She had a great night. Now for the big party. On Saturday she is having about 13 friends over to watch Little Shop of Horrors. So you can bet there will be lots of pictures!

2008-12-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

Report: Release Date Set for 'Twilight' Sequel 'New Moon'
Dec. 10, 2008, 10:52 PM ESTEntertainment Tonight.
As the fan frenzy continues to surround the vampire romance 'Twilight,' its highly-anticipated sequel 'New Moon' may be hitting theaters sooner than you think!
Entertainment Weekly reports that Summit Entertainment has tentatively set Nov. 20, 2009, as the release date for the follow-up film to 'Twilight.' The magazine reports that production begins in mid-March.
Earlier this week, ET confirmed that 'Twilight' director Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning for the sequel. According to Entertainment Weekly, film maker Chris Weitz may be in talks to direct 'New Moon.'

Guess where I will be Thursday at midnight on the 19th????? Who wants to join me mark your calendars now & it is a date! :)

2008-12-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. We had a busy busy one. I did not take any pictures so you can just enjoy Edward! :) Thursday~ my friend Mandy & I went to see yup you guessed it Twilight!! Still amazing after 5x. Friday~ Mikayla went w/ Ryan to see Twilight; Andy, Miranda & I stayed at home & watched movies. Saturday~ Wow busy day. Hair appt; mall for Christmas shopping; Mikayla went to a friends b'day party & then we went on a journey to Nyssa, OR to see Mandy & Zach's place. Talk about in the boonies! hahaha but we had a great time. Sunday~ Sunday School, Church, Youth Group, grocery store and now we are watching the Ten Commandments. I am tired just thinking of everything we have done. We are set for another busy busy week. From cheerleading, gymnastics, swim lessons and oh yeah work! Mikayla will be turning 13 on Thursday can you believe that? 13 I am not old enough to have a 13 year old. HAHAHAHHA Enjoy gazing at Edward like I do. Have a great week!

2008-12-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Wow what a day! First I forgot to add a very important part in my last blog. When Miranda & I went to look for the camera in the car when we got home she went upstairs & closed the door. I went up & asked her what she was doing. She told me "I was praying for God to bring back your camera". How sweet was that? I explained to her that God doesn't always answer your prayers immediately that he does it in his own time. So that was that for the night. Well, I am at work today & I get a call from the school & first thought was oh no Miranda is sick & the secretary asks me "Did you lose a black kodak camera?" I was speechless. She told me that someone found it in the middle of the road & went through the pictures & saw Miranda in her Willow Creek t-shirt & then they brought it to the school this morning. They went through some of the pictures & recognized Miranda! WOW! That right there was a God thing. Miranda was beaming when she saw my camera! God is good & he answer sweet little girls prayers.

So, I have learned 1) to listen to myself when I am talking to myself. 2) There are amazing people out there everywhere & 3) My little girl is the sweetest thing ever. I am truly blessed with all the wonderful things in my life & things like this make me stop & Thank God for it all.

God Bless all of you my dear friends & family.

2008-11-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

Okay so this is the picture you get! I was planning on putting our Turkey Day pictures in but here is the funny story. Andy was up on the roof putting up the Christmas lights and of course I was taking pictures and as I was doing it I was saying to myself "I really should not put the camera there not a good idea" well I did not listen to myself and put the camera on the back of my car. Well guess what I forgot to get! Yup you guessed it. I remembered when Andy & Mikayla were 1/2 way to Boise to the Stampede game. So needless to say I am without my Turkey Day pictures but on the bright side AWESOME Twilight picture right????? I did have a fantastic holiday. We had a quiet dinner and decorated our tree. Mikayla got a call from her friend & they went to see Twilight! On Saturday, Donna & I were up and at Fred Meyers at 5:00 a.m. Got some good deals we went to a few other places and then back home by 10:30! After tooling around the house patiently waiting for 2:00 to come & I was out the door to meet my good friend Mandy to see Twilight! :) hahahha her 1st time seeing it! My 3rd. Boy, it gets better each time I see it. So quiet evening at home cause I was out by 8:00! Then Saturday, Mikayla & I had hair appointments in Meridian at 11:00 so we decided to meet up w/ our Friends Carole & Marissa yup you guessed it to see Twilight! Boy it is funny I caught stuff I missed the first 3x I saw it!!!! So it was a fantastic Twilight Turkey Day Weekend! Even tho I lost my camera I get to go see Twilight on Thursday again with Mandy! YEA see I am looking on the bright side! hahahhahaha I hope everyone had a fantastic day! We are off to the rat race of the Holiday seasons. I love this time of year. I am sitting in my living room yelling at Razah to stay out of the Christmas Village & enjoying the pretty lights. Hey I would send ya pictures but hahahhaha my camera is somewhere between Nampa & Boise probably on the freeway!

2008-11-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

What a week we have had! Miranda got to go on a class trip to the ballet so she was all dressed up. Razah was being crazy and of course the BIG TWILIGHT premiere. Ryan, Tyler & Mikayla were patiently waiting. We got there an hour before & were lucky enough to be first in line & boy o boy it filled up FAST! I highly recommend going. It is a fantastic movie & they did a great great job following the book! We all really enjoyed it & on the way out we noticed that 1/2 the cheerleading squad was there in the same theater! Insane. It is sold out all weekend. I will be going at least 2 more times. I missed some parts... too many nice looking vampires it was hard to see what was going on in the movie! :) But I shall pay my dues to help pay for the next movie New Moon by purchasing at least 8 more movie tickets! Miranda wants to see it again & of course the girls do & Andy is feeling left out so I told him not to worry I will go again! tee-hee
Again, if you haven't seen the movie I recommend it. Really really good!!!!!!!!

2008-11-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

HAPPY TWILIGHT DAY!!!!

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 3+ months it is finally out in theaters!!!!! I know some lucky people who have already seen it & all I would get out of them was OMG!!!! So, that made me even more excited. I have 8 hours 40 minutes until I get my opinion on the movie! I hope everyone has a Happy Twilight day & GO SEE THE MOVIE that is if you can get tickets! :)

2008-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

I could not pass up this photo! Watch out Edward....... JAMES is HOT!!!!!!

3 days & counting!!!!!

2008-11-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

Miranda had a fun day today. Troop 31 went to make decorations for the festival of trees. She was so excited. She got to make 2 of them. We are gonna try & make them for our tree. They turned out so nice. I can't wait to see them all on the tree. There were about 50 girls there. Not all were her troop but they all were making different ornaments. Such a neat idea. She has fit in so well with her new Brownie troop. She is the youngest on but all the girls have welcomed her in with open arms. Best of all they meet at her school. So every Thursday she walks down to the cafeteria after school & I pick her up. How awesome is that? I love after school activities. I guess there is a big camp out in the Spring that I might let her go to. I think Mikayla was 7 or 8 when she went to Oregon for a week so I think I can let her go! UGH maybe not! I will see. She is growing up too fast. Both my babies are getting older. So, I guess all I can do is sit back & enjoy the ride. I am so truly blessed with my girls.

Just In Case You Did No Twilight Premiers In...

2008-11-14T06:12:00.001-08:00

2008-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here is Miranda at gymnastics tonight. Boy does she love it. I did not have time to change between work, picking up Miranda from school to Lone Star to see Mikayla cheer to Miranda's gymnastics so I got to watch tonight instead of working out & bonus had my camera! :) She does so well. They are fantastic with both girls. And since it is at the Rec Center I get in a good work out each time. (with the exception of tonight). So after a long & busy day of working & running I thought I would update the blog so my mother would not get mad at me! :)

2008-11-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

So I am getting in trouble by my mom! For not updating my blog since Halloween! We Armbruster's have been very busy this past 2 weeks. Between Cheerleading, Brownies, Gymnastic, Parent-teacher conf. it has been crazy. Andy left for Texas so I also have to be the cook in the family. And everyone knows how much I lOVE to cook! NOT!!!!
Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks. Mikayla infront of her locker; Mikayla & Ryan cheering, Miranda stylin and the girls on the trampoline. I had Andy take a ton of pictures to get the Christmas cards ordered. He did fantastic! :) Looks like the girls had a blast. I was at work so I did not get to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. It is said that we might get snow in the next week so winter is offically here. Have a great week & I apologize for not keeping this up to date I will do better.

2008-10-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! Can't believe it is come and gone. The girls had such a fun day. Miranda got to spend a couple of hours with her friend Cali & then got to go trick or treating with Liz , Cali, Josh & Seren. Then she was off to Liz's party at her grandma's. Mikayla was invited to Ryan's party & then a bunch of them went trick or treating & she is staying the night. Andy & I are enjoying a nice quiet evening w/o kids! WOW that is a first. I hope everyone had a great Halloween & a safe one!

2008-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Miranda had her Harvest Party at school today! Lots of fun. I love her classes mates! Mrs. Labrum is wonderful and has so much patience!

2008-10-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Mikayla cheering at the 1st Girls Basketball game! She did FANTASTIC! They did a bunch of cheers & stunts also during 1/2 time. She so enjoyed it & is already thinking of next year. She came home & was teaching Miranda the cheers so she can do it in the stands! They all look great in their uniforms even tho I think the skirts are too short!

2008-10-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some picture from the 1st band concert. They did FANTASTIC!!!! Mikayla's elementary music teacher even showed up to see them play. What a nice treat!

2008-10-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Willow Creeks 1st Sock Hop! Wow what a fun time for all. Middle Schoolers included! Miranda's school had its first ever Sock Hop tonight. It was completely free, music, dancing, eating snacks & drinking punch. What a way to spend a Friday evening. We picked up Jayde to come & join the fun. Emma showed up & the girls danced the night away. The big girls included Mikayla, Ryan, Dani, Brittney & Hannah & then about 3 more showed up. Mrs. Labrum, Miranda's teacher was even there dancing with the kids.

The 50's Girls! The new Pink Ladies

One way to keep the girls all together hula hoops! These are Middle schoolers!

We are so lucky to have such amazing friends & such an AWESOME school. We are hoping this is one of many dances!

2008-10-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

YEAH! Finally here. Mikayla got her cheer uniform & her warm up jacket! She is still needing her shoes & warm up pants but hey the important stuff is here! Doesn't she look cute? The skirt seems a bit short for my mom in me but she is a cheerleader! :) She does have bloomers underneath it! Once we get the complete warm up & tennis shoes I will send more pictures. She starts cheering for the girls basketball next week so I will be taking a TON of pictures. She is very excited.

2008-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Wow What a night! The Lone Star Cheerleaders had their harvest party at The Knight's home. It started at 7 and we got home at 10:30! There were about 30 girls there! They played games, did karaoke, team building activities, scavenger hunt and had TONS of sweets! Each girl had to wear a crazy hat & socks. Some of the girls were very very creative. Oh forgot to mention the bonfire & they roasted marshmallows. I think they did it all! Ms. Powell has a fantastic group of girls that make up the Lone Star Cheerleaders!

2008-10-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Just some more fun pictures. Again, Ryan & Mikayla had the camera again. I went to bed & they were still up playing around! :) Miranda is modeling her new jacket since it is freezing. It is October right???? By this weekend it should be close to 70 crazy I tell ya what.

2008-10-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today, Mikayla, Ryan, Jana, Samantha & Nicole all went to the Purity Conference. It started at 10 and ended at 6. The 1st half of the day was guest speakers that talked to the teens about sex before marriage. Mikayla said that the talks were "weird" and uncomfortable that in the end she said she was glad she went. We had a good talk about it afterwards. Also, they had a fashion show, strength training, Rock Band on a HUGE screen for the kids to play & at the end Christian recording artist Josh Rosenthal. WOW he was amazing. Mikayla LOVED him. She said that he is her new favorite singer. I ended up buying both of his cd's. It was a great experience & I am so blessed that these girls were apart of it. The church that puts this on tries to do it every year. So you can bet she will be there next year. At first I thought she might be too young to listen to this but, I see it as a great learning experience that she will always remember. Go to myspace.com/joshrosenthal to hear this amazing singer. It was a busy day but in the end it was worthwhile.

2008-10-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

What a fun 5 days off these girls have had. Miranda had her friend Cali over & then Courtney came over & they decided to collect worms in a bad! YUCK!!!! Ryan came over to hang out & them Mikayla headed to Marissa's b'day party for th weekend. We had another volleyball game to work & Ryan helped out. Were were a bit slower than normal so the girls had fun taking pictures & just goofing off! The Heavy Weight Boys football team did win so GO LONGHORNS!!! So after a long weekend off the girls are back in school. Mikayla got a "pre" semester report card & is doing really good straight A's and that is also in her 8th grade math. Pretty proud of her! Miranda starts gymnastics next week & is no longer in dance. She is pretty happy to start gymnastics. She was tired of dance so here is the next chapter in her book! Well that is the update for now. Until next time!

2008-09-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

The girls had Ryan and Jayde over this weekend & had a great time hanging out and eating. Man, it is good to be young! :)
Miranda's picture day was today & she was styling. Mikayla FINALLY got her cheer uniform. YEAH!!!! The warm ups & shells are off to get all the embrodery work but I did manage to get a quick picture against her wishes! :) We were to busy helping 30 girls to take any more pictures. Mikayla is very excited & can't wait to wear them for basket ball season which is right around the corner. After all this they had time to learn 2 new cheers. She told me that next year she wants to be a captian. So I think cheering is in her blood. This is a new world for me but she loves it & looks adorable. Also, bonus I just have to pick her up from practice not bring her! YEAH!!!

Another Fun Week!

2008-09-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are another week. Can you believe it is almost October? Funny how time just flies by. Mikayla got a new hoodie from the Twilight Books. Miranda's fun looks for the weeks. Mikayla & her friend Rian working off their cheerleading uniforms at the school consession stands. Mikayla loves to work them & she signed us up for 2 more! I hope everyone has a fantastic rest of September. We are excited for fall and are ready for the cool weather. Before you know it you will be seeing the Halloween costumes!

St Lukes Women's Fitness Celebration

2008-09-20T11:59:00.001-07:00

We survived the big storm. We thought it would let up on the rain but oh no it did not. It was a down pour the entire 3 miles. We had to stand in the rain a good hour before the race even started. But we did great. Mikayla & Marissa's first 5k that they ran & made it in 52 minutes! Proud of them. Despite the extremely heavy shirt due to the rain, wet tennis & bone chilling breeze it was fantastic. My time was 31 minutes & I ran it all. Very excited about that one. Tammy was right behind me she did not check her time but I know it was under 8 minutes behind me! :) It was definitely a time to remember. We had a blast the pictures are before when we are dry & after when we all look like drowned rats. Luckily the girls had extra clothes in the car & got to change their shirts before hitting the mall for the new Brisinger book & Mikayla got a zip up hoodie of Twilight! :) Lots of fun today but I am exhausted & just stood in the hot hot shower to try & get warm. We haven't had rain all summer & it came down like crazy. That is okay it did not stop our fun & we so needed it. Can't wait till next year for the next Women's Fitness race. Hopefully it will be a little bit less on the rain. My next big run is Nov. 1st. My last 1/2 marathon for the year. Can't wait. Then it will be training for Robie Creek again! Until later!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY BACK TO REALITY!!!!

2008-09-16T06:21:00.001-07:00

I finished last night after 11:00 p.m. and those who know me... well I am usually crashed at 9! I started the Twilight Saga last Sunday & it consisted of 4 books 500+ pages each. I have never read a book where I could not turn the page fast enough. I picked it up for Mikayla & thought I would see what it was all about. Ashley loves it so I thought I might enjoy it as well. WOW can I say it consumed my life. I ignored my kids, husband, housework & everything. But it was worth it. I highly recommend reading this Saga but make sure you have time on your hands. You won't be able to put down the book. The movie comes out on Nov. 21st. Can't wait. Mikayla is almost finished w/ book 3 & all her friends are talking about it & reading it. So hey, teenagers reading novels & talking about it. I can handle that! :) So expect more updates & pictures as I am back to myself. I do have a book coming out on Saturday that Mikayla & I have been waiting for since last summer but I don't think it will consume like Twilight did. So, if you haven't read the saga I would...............

2008-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that we are 1/2 way thru September? It has been awhile since I updated the blog. I have been consumed w/ the Twilight Saga. Mikayla & I have been reading non-stop! Here are some pictures of the girls & Mikayla finally nailed her spits down she has been working at it all summer! :)

2008-09-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

I am a few days late about writing this but.... Andy & I just celebrated our 14 year anniversary. Now it was not too thrilling it consisted of a Middle School Football game & then a quiet evening at home. But I could not have asked for a better evening. We met 15 years ago and God kinda just put us together. He was my friends friend & I was actually all set to marry someone else. The story goes is that Andy told his friend that he was gonna "get him some of that" hahhaha that is Andy for you. His friend asked me "What do you think of Cowboys" I told him "I don't" He then told me that I was gonna marry him not the other guy. Well, he was right. He became my best friend & then we started dating. Now it hasn't been a fairy tale marriage we have had our rough spots & times when I did not think we would make it. But we have worked through it. We got to enjoy our beautiful daughter Mikayla Nicole for 5 1/2 years before sweet little Miranda came along. We are so blessed with wonderful kids & a strong marriage. I have sooo enjoyed the ups and downs of the last 14 years & can not wait to see what the next 14 will bring. We have grown closer to each other & have God to thank for all he has blessed us in our lives. God put a Yankee (not a Yankee fan but a NYer) and a Cowboy together. We are complete opposits but we fit well together. I love you Andy & thank for 14 years & here's to the next chapter of our lives!!!!!!!!

1st Full Week of School

2008-08-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Whew we made it thru the first full week of school. Both girls did really well. Mikayla had a rough start but is settling in now. Miranda of course no problems. She is with her 1st grade grade class & teacher. She is very excited to be in 2nd grade. She has had music, pe, computers & library. She can't bring books home yet but can keep them in her class. Maybe next year! :) Mikayla is in band again & enjoys it. She is on the basketball cheer squad so not much practices yet. It is football season but she will be going to every home game to support her fellow cheerleaders & her school! She is still in gymnastics & LOVES it. Miranda will be starting dance after the holiday & we will once again be very very busy.

First Week of School

2008-08-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

We made it through the first week of school. Girls are glad to be back to school. They both were stylin' all week long & enjoying their new clothes. Today was a big day for Mikayla, I finally caved in & brought her to Sephora in JcPenny's & she had her 1st makeup lesson. I am ni trouble now. Those lashes just keep going & going............ :)

Back to School

2008-08-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here we go again!!!! :) Back to school time. The girls were stylin & ready to go. Oh here is our new addition to our family Razah! :) Isn't he cute. The dogs want to eat him & the cats could careless about him. Sweet little guy! Here is to another year!

End of Summer Pool Party

2008-08-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

It is official it is the last weekend of summer. Since Mikayla had an amazing 6th grade w/ straight A's she got a pool party. She had lots of fun w/ Nikki, Sammie, Brenna, Breeana, Marissa, Dani & Bailey over for the afternoon. It was a great day for a party. They swam & ate what more could one want. Also, here is her new haircut for 7th grade. Looking too grown up for my likes! Here is to the end of summer & we all look forward to a fun school year.

Annual Shopping Trip

2008-08-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow hard to believe that we went back to school shopping already. We had a great time! We go w/ our good friends Carole & Marissa & this time we only spent 6 hours at the mall. Not bad we are usually at the 8 hour mark! :) It was all about the Hannah Montana outfits for Miranda & Mikayla found lots at Aeropostle! I can't believe my baby shops in those stores now! UGH! Mikayla is so awesome w/ budgeting her money she did great & saved enough money for new tennis the next day at Joe's Sporting Goods! :) We got a wonderful fashion show when we got home at 10:30 p.m. Boy was it ever a long day! But it was wonderful. Shopping & friends can't ask for anything more. We are ready for Back to School! This is just a few of the outfits! Oh & girls can never have too many shoes I think they both got 5 pair each! They are sooooo like their mother!

Weekend Fun!

2008-07-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend. We went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D. It was Miranda's first time at a 3D movie. Boy was it ever funny watching her. Great movie it is a must. The girls had friends over to swim. Breeana was over on Saturday after roller skating & then on Sunday Miranda had her friend Peyton over. They had a blast. Mikayla has decided to redo her room so first it is primer. Boy is it gonna take alot of primer!!!!! But she is doing great. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. The girls have until Aug. 20th & it is back to school!

Seattle Mariners

2008-07-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

So it was a great beautiful day to go to a ballgame! Dad & I had a great time. Hot dogs were fantastic & seats were fabulous! The Mariners did not far so well they lost 2-6 but that is okay it was fun. I want to go again!!!!! I think dad enjoyed himself. We hit everything perfect. Parking; driving back from Seattle it was a great day!

Fun Times in WA

2008-07-20T09:05:00.001-07:00

Hello all! We are having a great time at moms in WA. The weather has been so so but the sun is shining today. My dad turned 60 so we celebrated, went to Ikea of course (had to get a u-hual to go home); went to a play w/ Ashley's boyfriend aweome it was Grease; went to the SuperMall for some shopping; had a jewelry party & today dad & I are going to a Mariner's game. Tired but having lots of fun. The girls have enjoyed Gram's pool I am hoping they still like ours when we get home. The dogs love grandma's & granpa's they get lots of treats & have plenty of room to run. We are heading home bright & early tomorrow. But I still have 2 days off! :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

2008-07-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Boise Fit for Life 1/2 Marathon! July 12, 2008. We started our morning at 7:30 & took us 2:35 to get thru 13.1 miles. It was a beautiful run. We started at the Boise Hawks baseball stadium & went past the zoo & then came back. Tammy did an amazing job. It was hot & we were done for by the last 4 miles. But we pushed thru the pain & ran over the finish line. Andy, the girls, Dustin & Tammy's 2 kids were there waiting & cheering us on over the finish line! :) It was fantastic. This was Tammy's 1st & hopefully not her last 1/2 marathon. I improved my time from 9.6 mile church run on the 1st. Very excited. I have nothing planned for August (back to school prep) and then a 5k St. Lukes Women's fitness that Mikayla wants to run, the Harvest Classic a 6 mile run & then my last 1/2 Marathon is November 1st. I am excited. I have improved so much since my 1st one in April. I have been bitten by the running bug. I love it & can't wait for my next run. I just hope Tammy will continue running with me. I love to have someone run with me. She kept me motivated.

Weekend Project

2008-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Andy was hard at work this weekend. We had fun swimming while he worked! :) Now bring on the wind. My room won't have to be taken down anymore! :) I am in the process of painting it & then we will be adding lattice & lights. But the hard part is done. I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th we had a good one but wasn't right not being at mom's house.

Level 3 Swimmer

2008-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah Miranda made it! She passed her swim class & is now moving up to level 3 and in this level she is very excited because they get to go off the rope! :) She had a great 2 weeks straight and mom is glad it is finished.

What's been going on!

2008-06-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a crazy time w/ getting the pool up but it is worth it. The girls love it. I have even been in it a couple of times so far. This weekend is going to be 100 out so I will be in it all weekend. Nothing much going on here just busy working. Miranda started swimming lessons so we have been at the Rec Center every night. But I do get to work out no excuses. Mikayla is getting really good at her back handsprings in gymnastics. She is ready to start cheering next month. Andy is busy working & ready to start a new project. Yes, Debbie he will do your deck first :) As for me, well I have been busy training w/ Tammy (my bffl) tee-hee. We are on the count down 3 weeks to go until our 1/2 marathon. Very excited. We hope to run most of the 13.1 miles. We will be hitting the pavement early Saturday morning for 10 miles! We are doing great here in Idaho enjoying our summer! Until later my friends..........

Finally Up!!!

2008-06-21T18:27:00.001-07:00

Yeah after being in the garage for so long in a box. The girls finally get to enjoy the pool. If they are having this much fun with a little bit of water can you imagine when it is all full? We are gonna have such a great summer of swimming. Mikayla is already promised a pool party for getting 4.0 all year. Now Andy needs to get busy on the deck! :) But I guess I will let him relax & rest for a couple of weeks. I am sure I will have a ton more pictures of the pool this summer.

The my BFF's & (bbfl)

2008-06-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

Wow what a fantastic evening. My abs are so sore this morning due to laughing so much. Night out w/ the girls consisted of Sex in the City movie; dinner at Red Robin & lots & lots of tears from laughing. I am so blessed to have these women in my life. Thank you Debbie, Tammy & Jolyn for giving me an awesome ad workout. One never knows what is discussed when we all get together. All I can say is that I will never look at a box of crayons the same. Here's to you my friends. Thank you for being you!

My baby is 7

2008-06-15T18:22:00.001-07:00

Wow. Miranda is 7 years old already. We had a fun Luau day. Friends, food & presents can't ask for anything more.

2008-06-10T19:34:00.000-07:00