Retreat!!

I'm headed to a scrapbook retreat this weekend - and while I'm hosting it, it will still be a retreat! And, this is the first retreat that my mom will be joining me - not as a scrapper, but as our caterer! She'll get a feel for what it is I do on these weekends, and I'll get a weekend to enjoy her cooking!

Just thought I'd share a picture of one of my favorite things - sleeping babies.

And check out those cheeks! Still as squeezable as ever!

And for kicks, here's the whole crew!

It's Spring Break next week, so I'll return from the retreat for a week 'off' - which we'll be spending at my in-law's house in Midland. Jason and I will be taking some time to scope out houses together (he's been screening some already!) and getting ready for Easter celebrations with extended family, too!

In the meantime, our realtor is going to hunt up a buyer with a briefcase of money and no contingencies and conditions on the sale of our house - for our asking price, no less! Here's to wishful thinking and a successful open house while we're gone (say your prayers to St. Joseph on our behalf, please!)

Back to life...back to reality...

Wow - I love vacation.

Orlando was great....we drove all the way to Louisville, KY on the first night (arriving at a Best Western claiming to be have smoke-free lobby at 1am, and after securing our room and climbing back in the car, Jason could smell the smoke on me - yikes!) Anyway - the room had a horizontal place to sleep, so it was fine, and breakfast at the cute Denny's Diner next door was included - so WAHOO!


We traveled on Saturday to Marietta, GA to stay at John and Julie's - and since we made it to Louisville the first night, we arrived in the daylight at our next stop, so the kids had lots of time to play and we had lots of time to visit (and plot how John was going to re-construct his back yard after major septic line work - oye!) John and Julie treated us to a wonderful dinner out that was perfect for our family - a Chinese buffet that even included crab legs - like I suppose you could do better than that!?!?!

Sunday, it was off to Orlando, with our traditional picnic stop at the Florida Welcome Center.

Then on to our final destination - and just miles from our condo we were stopped in traffic waiting for an accident to clear. The last thing we wanted - but we finally arrived, complete to our condo four doors down from my parents (NOT right next door, which we had both requested...and was a possibility until a hours before our arrival they checked someone else into the condo next to my parents - HELLO!) Anyway...

Monday brought us to the Magic Kingdom - a magical day cause we got to spend it with our whole family - Andy and his kids included! It was WONDERFUL to spend time with them, especially at Disney World, where I had promised Jared I would buy him some special Mickey Ice Cream.


Tuesday my grandparents came up from Tampa to visit - always a nice time. Wednesdaybrought the departure of Andy and family and some serious shopping (and custom treat making at Goofy's Candy Co.) at Downtown Disney.

And then came Thursday - where we were CRAZY! Jason and I took Lilly and Maya to the Pirate and Princess Party at the Magic Kingdom - we were there when it started at 7:30PM and didn't get back to our condo until nearly 2AM - but what a PARTY! We collected bead necklaces and candy (including chocolate doubloons) at special "X" marks the spot treasure places. We took the girls on Space Mountain (I think it was harder on me than them!!). We met Minnie, Daisy and Sleeping Beauty with her Prince Philip. We did all our favorite rides and more! And boy were we pooped. As were Grammie and Grandpa, who held down the fort with Porter and Molly.

Friday was a recovery and pool day (oh, and I had a frosty beverage by the pool!)...and then came the packing. I hate packing.

Saturday afternoon we headed home, and decided to drive straight through - 22 hours later, we pulled back into our driveway in Michigan, where at least some of the snow had melted in our absence (which was good, cause we left during a blizzard!)

We're already plotting our next getaway.

Now, it's back to work. Ugh.

Orlando or bust!

Well, tomorrow is the day when I venture into the van with my loving husband and our four children to drive across the country to, as Lilly has previously stated, my "utopia" - Orlando!

Some call us crazy...and maybe they're right...but a road trip with four kids doesn't have to be a horror...a challenge, sure - but doable!!

We'll stop near Louisville tomorrow night, then on to Atlanta for a night with John & Julie, and then we'll coast into Orlando on Sunday for a week. We'll stop at every rest area on the way to do some running around, hit the McDonald's with playplaces for lunch, and, of course, have breakfast at a Waffle House.

More to come when we get there!

Honorable Mention

I applied to be on the Design Team for one of the best scrapbook stores in Michigan...The Scrapbook Zone in Farmington Hills. I found out yesterday that I was selected as Honorable Mention and a Guest Designer for August 2007 - I'm excited and disappointed all at once.

I made a special present for Jason for his birthday last week (per his request - a tag album to display at work!) and I liked it so well that I had to be an Indian Giver and get it back from him to send in for the Design Team "contest"!

So, here's some pictures of it, so at least we can see it while I wait to get it back...

Happy Valentine's Day

Well, I may not be with my Valentine on this frigid February day, but I do have some flowers to keep me company...

And how cute are THESE! Maya and Porter made them at Grandma Jane's - the kids baked these cakes in heart - shaped little ceramic ramekins (just ask Grandma Jane what it's like giving day care kids eggs to crack!!) - then frosted and sprinkled them themselves - and it's topped with little heart-shaped pictures! Hmm....not sure Jason's will last until he gets home in a couple of days!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lilly Baker - First Grader!

So, my little Lilly came home yesterday with her first semester report card from First Grade (and also announced today that her teacher has moved on from reading the kindergarten Junie B. Jones series to Junie B - First Grader)!

I have to quote the comments on her report card - I really should frame them...so proud of this kid:

Lilly is having a wonderful first grade experience. She is successful both academically and socially. She is friends with all her classmates and her kind and caring ways shine through every single day. I love being greeted each morning with Lilly's pretty smile and terrific attitude. She is so excited to learn and willing to work hard in everything she does....Lilly's writing is a welcomed sight to my eyes! Everyday she writes with a creative flair and has some real talents pouring onto her paper...Lilly is a classroom leader. I love how she helps others, how she respects others, her sweet manners. There's too many marvelous attributes to mention, I am totally head over heels in love with this girl! Thank you Mom and Dad for all you do to make school important in Lilly's life.

How about THAT? I mean, her teacher DID make me tear up at our first parent-teacher conference with all the great things she had to say - but this is typed out on her report card - forever saved, in print and the school's computer system!

Great job, Lil. We're proud of you, and totally head over heels in love with you, too!

Back from Cali!

Well, it wasn't nearly as warm as I would have liked, but it was a successful trip both for business and pleasure. You can read more about it at our company blog....link from www.megameet.com.

Unfortunately, in my absense, my grandmother and godmother, whom I loved dearly, could no longer fight the infection that was ravishing her body when I left...and she left us to be with my dear grandfather, whom she has missed more than words can say from the moment he was gone.

I love them. I miss them terribly.

I'm gonna miss that sound...

The kids are napping...Lilly will be home from school any moment, and I'm trying to check my email one last time and finish packing before I head out the door in a few hours...

Molly is just a few feet away, snoozing in her car seat, still with her adorable pink bunny hat on...she's been content there since we got home from Jason's 'surprise' going away party at work today.


And then I hear it....just her big sigh...while still asleep...those big baby, sighs of contentment. And I'm going to miss it while I'm gone.

Oye. It's good to have a break from the kidlets sometimes...but a week is an eternity, too.

See you when I get back!

Headed to California!

Well, I've been told that if I don't post...people won't read. If you post it, they will come... So - time to post again!

I'm headed to Anaheim, CA on Friday night (well, a few hours into Saturday, anyway!) for the world's largest craft and hobby trade show...miles and miles of aisles and aisles devoted to crafting and craft products. Everyone from Crayola to the smallest scrapbooking company is there - hocking their wares to me and buyers from all the major retailers...it's a great time - crazy, but great!

The hardest part of course, is being away from the kids! This will be my longests stretch without Molly...so I guess I better post some pictures of her here, so I can check them with my internet access from the hotel! Enjoy!

At 7 months, Molly is teething, and consequently sticks ANYTHING in her mouth - this is Maya's favorite baby "GiGi" with her hand in Molly's mouth!


And, of course, Lilly loves the 'big sister' role, so here's a great shot of her feeding Ms. Molls.

And then there's Porter, who on this day, was TOTALLY captivated by the Backyardigans! He's not usually the kid that is enthralled with the dancing and the singing, but as you can clearly see...today he was!






Now, here's Miss Maya...a great picture of her from Christmas sporting one of her new 'princess wigs'.





Well, I guess that will have to do me while I'm away...well, that, and the fact that I'll be spending two days at Disney!

House for Sale...

Well, we had a showing yesterday...spent ALL day just clearing up the 'little' stuff that was around (see Hurricane Christmas post!). When it came time for the showing, I packed up Maya, Porter and Molly (during nap time, no less) and headed into town to drive thru for some food (since I didn't eat breakfast or lunch yet)! I drive back to the house, now about 10 minutes after the 'showing time' and see that they haven't arrived yet...so I park in the driveway of a nearby house that's also for sale (new construction that's been on the market for a year and a half) and watch for them to arrive while I eat and the kids are watching a movie. I see the SUV pull in...okay, great. I wait about 15 minutes and head back to the house to catch a glimpse of the car, and I notice it was already gone. Well, I think to myself, that wasn't long enough to see the house, so maybe it wasn't them and I obviously missed the car leaving while I was eating.

I pull into my driveway and decide to run in and see if the other realtor has left the tell-tale business card on the kitchen counter to indicate that they were here. I don't even get that far...I'm locked out. Guess they were here. They toured the house in about 10 minutes. I spent FIVE hours picking up and cleaning and trying to follow kids around to keep it clean. TEN MINUTES.

I realize that everyone that looks is a potential buyer. BUT - it should take longer than 10 minutes to walk through my house. I didn't eat. The kids didn't get naps (which has LOADS of ramifications!). But I never turn down a showing. I felt like those buyers and that agent didn't respect my time or that of my family. We have pictures of just about every room online, as well as room dimensions. You can drive by and pick up an info sheet. TEN MINUTES??!?!?!? Why bother.

So, thanks to my friends Joy and Amy for going out with me last night, and my dear babysitter Erica for giving up another few hours on a Friday to help keep me sane. There has got to be a better way to sell houses.

Hurricane Christmas

So, here it is...what my 'red room' looked like this morning:


The tree was still half lit with blue lights, gifts were strewn everywhere, oye. Hurricane Christmas left a path of destruction, and this was the last room for me to tackle - TODAY! I spent hours...and then Erica (the WONDERFUL woman who cleans my house, among other things!) also cleaned it....and now, it's back to normal:


Now, keeping in mind that normal still means it's got baby stuff everywhere, books, trucks, little bikes, well, you know - stuff you find in a house that has four kids! But, at least NOW I can WALK! I made a promise to my realtor today that I WOULD have an open house in the next few weeks...it just couldn't be THIS week. How does one explain Hurricane Christmas??

One Kidney Wonder

Well, today was Jason's big V *snip - snip* day! We are so happy with our family of four kids, we're done! (or at least our natural born kids! I'd still consider 'importing' one at some point!) Anyway, throughout this 'ordeal' we've discovered that Jason only has one kidney!

Apparently, during Jason's consultation, the doctor was unable to find the 'tubing' that you cut during this procedure on one side. This is an indicator of the tubing being missing, which is also an indicator of a kidney missing, which is an indicator of being a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis! So...at the ripe old age of 32, Jason discovered via renal ultrasound, that he is a one kidney wonder!

So what does this mean for the big V? It means he only had to have one side done. Yes, we got a discount ;)

How does one explain to your young children why their daddy has as bag of frozen peas in his pants?

Here I go!

I'm taking the plunge...not sure why...not sure who's going to read, but I'm doing it anyway! I'll be moving in the next 6 months or so, so maybe this will be a great way for my friends to keep track of me...And I'll share my life's adventures...I mean, after all, I am a SAHM of four kids ages 7 and under! YIKES!

For now, I've 'commissioned' my fancy blog header...so bare with this one for awhile.

Hope you'll come back soon.

cmcb