The Four Mohrs

Happy Father's Day (little bit late of a post)

2010-06-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

When I met this man 11 years ago, little did I know that he would be the best father to my two kiddos! I love him more every day and without him, we are nothing! Thank you daddy for being there for us when we need, for supporting our family so mommy can stay home with us, and for your unconditional LOVE! We love you!

Prayer of the Children

2010-04-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the words to this song...I feel that they give me hope when I think things are hard in my life! We have kids not only in international countries, but in the USA that struggle everyday and the only thing that keeps them going is the hope from God that they will be safe! This rendention is sung by none other than David Archuleta! I know a lot of people look past the voice of this young man, but the passion that he feels when singing this song will bring me to tears! I think that so much hardship is on our children with foreign wars, hunger, homelessness, broken families, gangs, and everything else that our children may face! I look at the life that my children have and know that we are blessed to have it so well! I pray that everyone will take 6 minutes to listen the the words of David Archuleta and listen to the prayer he tells in this song! YOU WILL BE AMAZED!

SPRING Is in the Air!!!

2010-03-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh finally, I hear birds chirping, the grass is showing flicks of green, the ducks are flying north, the time changes forward to daylight savings time, and most importantly, I am getting that Oh so spring feeling in my house! I began cleaning my house from top to bottom inside! I just cannot believe how I can accumulate so much junk in 2 years! So the trash bins are filling up and the dust bunnies are coming down! I LOVE SPRING! We have had such great weather the past couple of weeks, with the exception of a few cloudy cool days! I still think that mother nature is flirting with us just a little bit with spring weather!

I can hardly believe that in ONE MONTH my girl will be 8!!!! I mean seriously, I feel like just yesterday I was bringing her home! I love the person she is becoming! Okay, so sometimes she is a little grumpy in the mornings, she procrastinates, she is a slow mover, and she stuggles with math....SOUNDS LIKE HER MOM!!! She is beyond excited that American Girl Doll Store is opening up in Denver at the end of March! She wants to be one of the first 100 girls in the stopre to get a goody bag and a chance to win the new 2010 doll of the year! We will see how early we get out of here to make the 45 minute drive!! Don has her convienced that she can bring a sleeping bag and stay the night by the doors!!! Oh does he have her fooled!!

Well I will post more when the birthday girl is officially 8 and I have some more pictures loaded on the computer....on back upstairs to finish SPRING CLEANING!

HURRAY FOR KAITLYN!

2010-01-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

I want to give a shout out to my WONDERFUL DAUGHTER! On Wednesday, she will get to go to an award ceremony thing they have at her school every month to recieve a SOARtificate! These are given each month to students in every grade that show SELF-CONTROL, OPTIMISIM, APPRECIATION, and RESPECT! Parents are invited to the ceremony! I am so happy for my sweet Kaitlyn and just wanted to write a new post to BRAG!!!! GOOD JOB KAITLYN...Mom, Dad, and Kysen sure are proud of the young lady you are becoming! We love you!

NEW YEAR.....NEW GOALS!

2010-01-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

Well.....it is half way throught January and once again, I am behind in getting another post up here! So here it goes....a recap of Christmas!
Christmas was quite interesting this year! We decided to head out a little early on our 10 hour trip to Don's parents in Ponca, Nebraska! I declare myself a mean mom as a traveler. We started to hit freezing fog and drizzle with about 3 1/2 hours to go so my kids were not allowed to drink in the car for fear we would have to stop and go to the bathroom....and just when I was going to pull in a drive through to get them something to eat, it started to sleet harder so I through the snack bag at them and told them to eat up! We made it to our destination in 8 1/2 hours and only had to stop once three hours in to gas up! And yes, I did feed my kids dinner when we got to their house...even if it was 9:15 at night! They survived and so did we! Well the snow started to fall and fall and fall and fall...FOR THREE DAYS STRAIGHT!!! We ended up with 17 inches of snow, 50 mile an hour winds, 10 foot drifts, and 8 people cooped up in a house for 3 1/2 days! Talk about CRAZY kids! This was nothing compared to the drive home!!! Kysen decided to puke in the car, pee in an empty pop can, and wrap his seat belt around him so tight we had to cut the seat belt from the car! HOME NEVER LOOKED SO DELIGHTFUL! So, Christmas was a little crazy for the Mohr's but we all survived and it went down in the record books as EVENTFUL!
For the rest of this update, I am going to post it in pictues, since I actually have them all loaded on my computer!

We attended our first "Ugly Sweater Christmas Party"! These were pretty hideous outfits but it was a lot of fun and we had some wonderful food there!

Kaitlyn had her Christmas Party at her school and what a fun time it was! We decorated cookies, played games, and just celebrated with the class!

We took Kaitlyn and my cousin Bryson to an Avalanche hockey game! Our seats were only 9 rows up so the action was pretty close! THE KIDS LOVED IT!

We let the kids open their presents here a little early since we were going out of town. Kaitlyn got the book she has been wanting from her Granny Great. Kysen got a train set from Granny Great and a really cool personalized book written by a fellow classmate of mine from Grandma Sherri!

And finally, we rang in the NEW YEAR! We went over to a neighbor's house and yes, the kids stayed up past midnight and helped Don and I ring it in! And no, that is NOT our puppy! The kids would like it to be, but it's not!

I would like to show you all that my hubby can be a cowboy if he wants to! At his company Christmas party for the Wyoming and Colorado people, they gave each of us custom fitted COWBOY hats! I apologize that this picture is not high quality, but my phone was the only camera that I had.....how do you think he looks?

Well that about wraps up our holiday season and the beginning of a NEW YEAR 2010! I pray that each of you celebrated as much as we did! I look forward to 2010 and the excitement that it has in store!

HOLIDAY CHEER!

2009-12-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that the holiday season is upon us already! I think I am the furthest behind in shopping, cards, cookies, and decorating that I have EVER been! But hey, I just remember when I am stressed out what the true reason for the season is!

I have been super busy with Kaitlyn's school functions! I headed and worked the Santa's Secret Shop at her school, which meant I was there for 6 hours every day....WITH KYSEN! I was a champ and all the students were so excited to buy things for their moms and dads! It was a lot of fun to see those smiles on those kids' faces!

I had a cookie exchange with all the ladies on my block....9 dozen if you are wondering how many! Lots to bake, but hey you get that back in return! It is a lot of fun!

I had my MOPS Christmas party today...what an inspirational time...It is the first event that TRULY got me in the Christmas spirit this year! Our leader, who happens to be a friend of mine, spoke of Mary! I think that Mary gets fortgoten about during this time! Katie made the point that this young woman was 12-15 years old when she was approched by an angel telling her that she was pregnant with the Savior...and yet her words were OKAY I will do this with honor! Can you imagine being that young having a child having not been with a man! I know I would beg for mercy and plee that it was not me that this was going to happen to! Under the circumstances that they were in, poor, young, and kids themselves can you imagine what was going through her mind! What a strong woman she was...a woman that I would love to be like! In our daily lives, we may not be approached by an angel telling us that we are going to be the mother of a Savior, but we are faced with other challenges that God places in our hands and we must handle them like Mary did...without hesitation! God challenges us to make us stronger people, he challenges us so that we may grow in faith just like Mary did! So this Christmas season I challenge each of you to be a Mary!

I hope all of you have a blessed Christmas season and a blessed New Year! Safe travels to all and God Bless!

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

2009-11-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

Eight years ago was the best day of my life....this was the day that I married my best friend, the man I laugh with, the man I live with, the man I love, and my soul mate! It almost seems impossible that it was this long ago! So much has changed in our lives....two kids, new houses, new states, new furniture, new attitudes, but one thing remains my devotion to only him! Without him I am nothing, without him I have nothing...but with him, I am whole and happy! Thank you my love for 8 wonderful years...I look so forward to spending a lifetime with you making memories!

LOVE YOU!

In Memory of Grandma McCune

2009-10-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

September 4, 2009, my beloved Grandma McCune passed away from a stroke. She was such a wonderful woman! A woman who was strong, a hard worker, a great cook, a caring and loving lady, a nurturer, and most of all a WONDERFUL GRANDMA!

It seems that when loved ones pass away memories start to flood our minds and the only memories I have a good ones. I most of all remember all the Christmas Eves we did at her house. We would walk the block and a half to the church, worship Christ's birthday, then walk back to her house and enjoy sitting around the wood burning stove sharing stories with the whole family. It was a large family(10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren). We would open presents, sing, eat until we rolled around with our full stomaches, and just be a family!

I also remember the fried chicken dinners and homemade pumpkin or apple pie! Best I have ever had and of course it was ALL made from scratch.

I always remember going to her house a little kid and walking across the street to the swimming pool or going in the back yard where there was a wooded area and we built a fort. She was always there for her grandkids and her family. I don't think she missed one single concert or play that my brother and I were in! She always made the 23 mile trip from Clay Center to Hastings to support us!

I remember that her favorite color was purple and for some reason I can always picture her in her purple jacket with her broach so nicely pinned to her lapel and a scarf to cover her just done hair that she had done at the shop every Friday!

I will miss you Grandma! I will miss your famous "Hello" when you answer the phone and I will miss your great stories! But I know that after 23 years of living without the love of your life, you are up there together again, watching over your family and guiding us to live a life as great as yours!

Rest In Peace Grandma McCune! I will always love you!

Where Does The Time Go?

2009-09-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a couple of months almost since my last post....I blame that on the busy schedule that we are following! So here it goes, a little recap of what is all new in the Mohr household.
Kaitlyn started 2nd grade a couple of weeks ago! Can you believe that! She is the same age I was when my family moved from Colorado to Hastings, Nebraska! I am just baffeled by that idea! She is doing great and it is amazing how well she is reading from this summer! Kaitlyn is just a blessing to me, she is so caring of others around her...that makes a mommy happy. I guess Don and I have done something right. She gets in trouble everyonce in a while at school for talking but hey, I would rather it be for talking then hitting or being mean to others! She takes after me in this category! She also got glasses right before school started...they are pretty spiffy and she sure can see a lot better! Now she has no excuses why she cannot see to pick up her room! HAHAHA!

Kysen sure misses his sister when she is at school. I dropped her off the first day and not 2 minutes later he goes I miss sissy when does she come home...lets go pick her up! It was way too cute. He got to be a ring bearer in his Aunt Candi's wedding in August! Can I just say HEART BREAKER!
He has been so fun lately (except for the fact that those 2 year molars are coming in!)
I have probably had the most change in my life. I started to work at home again doing medical transcription for a physical therapy office! I LOVE IT! I don't have to pay daycare and it is a little extra cash in these hard financial times. I also took on the duty of Fundraising chair at Kaitlyn's school and now the financial head for the MOPS group I go to! It all keeps me busy and that is good!

Don is doing super duper with his job. It should be done here in the next 3 months or so! Hard to believe that he started that project in April of 2008! Time flies!
Well this is just a little recap and a few updated pictures....enjoy!

Prayer Request

2009-07-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

The blog world not only acts as a way to share family stories and pictures with friends and family, but it is also a way to reach out to other bloggers who are in need of prayers. This happens to be the reason for this entry. In a previous blog of mine I wrote about a young family that lost their 10 month old to cancer. I regularly check their blog now to see how the family is doing and to let them know that I am praying for them. Yesterday in her blog she had a prayer request for a young girl named Kate from Arizona. She is a five year old girl who has a spirit for life. Her family is dedicated to their faith. She started to have tremors in her right hand one night so the next day they took her to the hospital to have an MRI and she was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The location of the cancer in her brain is where the communication takes place. She underwent surgery to remove 50% of the tumor which in fact was cancerous. She has not had much movement in her right arm and hand since the surgery. You can read about the rest of her story on this website www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate
After reading this journal, I once again was brought to tears, not only because a five year old girl is going through such a tramatic experience, but because not once have the parents questioned why God has lead them down this path. They instead are asking how they can take this experience and use it to show God's unconditional love. In one of the mother's journal entries she tells of a time a few months ago before they knew about the cancer. She said her three children would all be calling for "mommy" and as any parent gets, you sometimes just say to your children to just leave mommy alone for a few minutes. She said she told her kids that for 10 minutes they could not say mommy. Now she is sitting in a hospital room with her five year old who just had major brain surgery and could not say mommy. She said she would give ANYTHING to hear those words out of her mouth! What a word I take for granted most days! I was suddenly relaxed as both of my kids were asking for me. Their voices are so precious and their fire for life is contagious. We never think this is going to happen to us, but it can.

I ask you take a few minutes to read their story and include them in your prayers. I know that you don't know them, and neither do I, but she is a child of God and our duty in life is to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Another Hodgpodge Post!

2009-06-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

I just had to start out with a story! We had a garage sale the other weekend and so I did not have a constant eye on my kids like I usually do. Well, this all came in to play today when I went to go load pictures off of my camera to our computer....while I was selling stuff, my kids got a hold of my camera and here are a few of the 20+ pictures that I was suprised to see....because I sure did not take them.

All I have to say is....thank goodness for digital cameras where you can delete the ones where all you can see is boogers in the nose...but I did keep quite a few and will always have them to look at when I need a laugh.

We have had quite the storms in our town lately. Last night, it was clear skies and within about 30 minutes from out of no where a HUGE storm system built up over our town...and I mean HUGE!! I told my grandma that it was as if the skies opened up and God was just letting the heavens explode with tears. We all stood outside for awhile and watched the pouring rain come down, and then the lightning started to get REALLY bad and the thunder was so loud that I thought pictures were going to fall off the walls. The kids, needless to say, were cuddled up to us! We lost our satalite connection to the tv, phone, and internet, so it was as if we were shut off from the world. I was outside just watching a cloud bank rotate....thinking it could have funneled at anytime...but I figured the sirens would go off if I need to worry....BOY WAS I WRONG! I learned this morning that our town does not have sirens! Are you kidding me? Do they not think that we don't have tornados in this area? Did they forget that a tornado wiped out a whole area of Windsor last year that is just about 10 miles from us! I was floored to find this out! I guess I won't rely on that next time! Well the hail and rain fell for about 2 1/2 hours total and I think we got like 2 1/2 inches or something like that!

This week is supposed to be in the 90's for the most part so we are just trying to stay cool and lather on lots of sun screen! I always think it is funny when Coloradoans are complaining about the 55% humidity! I laugh and tell them boy I think it feels pretty good compared to the 90% humidity we are used to in Nebraska! I was eating my words today when the air conditioner in my car when kapooie! So we get to deal with that now! But, when all else fails and I start to get discouraged with all that, I take my kids outside in the pool and just relax...and laugh at how silly they look in their new goggles!

We hope all of you are enjoying your summer as much as we are...so far!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that my daughter is now out of first grade. It seems like just yesterday I was taking her to her first day of kindergarten. She has grown up so much the past two years. Kysen sure likes having his sister home ALL day! I think he is actually getting on her nerves because he does not want to leave her side all day. We have so many things going on this summer that I am seriously having to look for a week where we can head back to Lincoln and see all of our family and friends.

God has blest Colorado with so much rain these first couple weeks of June that we have not had to water the grass and flowers....however, it is hindering the outside time my kids so desperately need. So we have been finding indoor activities to do and we have also seen ALOT of movies the past two weeks. I am ready to get that pool out and so are the kids. But, we will not complain about the green grass and all the beautiful flowers that have bloomed at our house.

Don's job is going really well. The inside of the building should be done within the next couple of months. The whole job is scheduled to be complete around November. Hard to believe that it has been over a year that he has been working on this project. It is amazing to see it go from flat land to a helicopter hanger for Blackhawk helicopters. AMAZING!!!

We took the kids camping with our neightbors over Memorial weekend. Don's brother and his girlfriend were down that weekend, so they tagged along with us. We told them to pack some warm clothes...she only brought shorts. I guess they are not used to the Colorado cold spring nights!!! It was pretty chilly out and rainy, but we enjoyed ourselves for a night. I was amazed at how well the kids did. They especially liked the idea of sleeping in a tent. I wish I would have captured more pictures, but I was more worried about watching for bugs and having a blanket over me to keep me warm. We only stayed one night but had a lot of fun. I am more of a cabin person, as is Don, but the kids would stay in a tent again....we will have to see!

The month of July will bring about several fun activities and birthdays! My birthday always kicks off the month on the 1st and then Don's grandpa Don's birthday is on the 2nd. We plan on enjoying the 4th of July right here in Wellington. I guess they have a whole day of activities planned and then we will BBQ with the neighbors and watch the fireworks show from our street! Should be a good time. Then my Mom and Grandma are coming out that next week to visit. Then, Don's birthday is next on the calendar on the 20th. The last weekend in July we are going to take the kids on their first plane ride to Omaha. We thought that would get their feet wet with flying...since it is only an hour and a half flight. Don's sister is getting married on August 1st. We are really excited for this. Kysen is going to be a ring bearer for the wedding. Imagining Kysen in a tux just makes me smile! He will be too cute! We are then going to drive back to Colorado and bring Don's other sister with us for the week while Don's parents go on a short vacation. They are then going to fly back into Denver and stay with us for that weekend......and then a week and a half after that, Kaitlyn will start school again.

Our summer is definately full of activities! We are more than excited for all the fun stuff we have planned to do. Hope everyone's summer will be as fun as ours. I will get some pictures posted once I get them off the camera. Our computer got zapped by lightning here so I have to get the program reloaded to do all that.

Easter Extravaganza...And A Birthday TOO!!!

2009-04-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was pretty quiet for our family....with family all in Nebraska and us in Colorado it was hard to get to travel back there, so we enjoyed it with each other. Our events started on Saturday...Cheyenne has a huge Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza....and I am stressing the word HUGE! They have a helicopter drop around 40,000 plastic eggs out while in the air onto a HUGE field! I thought it would take FOREVER to get all those picked up. Boy was I wrong....it took about 2 minutes TOPS! I would say there was 3000 or so kids there. It was quite a sight to see. The kids really really enjoyed it! It was super duper cold out, so we did not stay long after that! We then went home and dyed Easter Eggs with the kids. Since there was only 4 of us eating them, we only dyed like 8 eggs, so it did not take that long but we had fun anyways. That night we suprised daddy with his Easter present. He has been wanting this hat he found (he calls it his Colorado hat) and so Kaitlyn and I snuck out of the house and got it for him...he was pretty pleased. Sunday we went to church and then we came home and either watched the Masters, or took a nap. It was a quiet day but the time we spent with each other was great.

Kaitlyn celebrated her 7th birthday on April 8th! It is hard to believe that she is now 7 years old. She has grown up to be such a polite young girl...at least to other people. She can still be a little sassy to Don and I! We celebrated her birthday a couple of times. The butterfly cake was for a little get together we had at Pete and Shara's house. We also had the neighbors over to eat some cake! She got a new camera from us, which she absolutely loves. Talk about expensive tastes, she asked to have grilled steak on her birthday! WOW....along with the Olive Garden meal she asked to have the weekend before her birthday! Anyways, we love to spoil the kids while we can!

I am also posting pictures on here of the job that Don is in charge of in Cheyenne! These pictures do not do it justice....the place is huge! It hold 8 or 9 Blackhawk helicopters just to give you an idea of the size. Then, there is also an education center where they will do teaching and stuff. It is quite a sight! They are hoping to be done with it in October or November! It will be exciting to see the finished product!

Other than that, we have just been getting ready for spring, attending Kaitlyn's end of school stuff, and just enjoying the nice weather that we have finally had! We hope all of you had a wonderful Easter weekend with friends and family!

A Hodge Podge Posting

2009-03-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well time has once again gotten away from me and I find myself needing to blog about several things that we have done in the past month. The beginning of March brough upon a much needed weekend getaway for the family. Kaitlyn's teacher owns a condo up in Winter Park and she was nice enough to let our family rent it for a weekend in March. Coincidently, my mom was going to be up in Winter Park also, with a youth ski trip that she was helping with for her church. So our adventure began on a Friday night. We made it up the Berthoud Pass and arrived at our condo and kicked back for a relaxing evening. The next morning, we headed to the nearest grocery store and picked up doughnuts for the kids to eat in the car while we took a short drive around the mountains. Needless to say, we used a whole pack of wet wipes after the breakfast feast was complete.

We then went downtown Winter Park and shopped in the stores.

Later that day we met my mom at the ski resort. Kysen walked the whole time.....and no nap! WE had a nice visit with my mom and then the snow began to fall, and fall, and fall and we decided we should head back to the condo.

As if this was not enough, Kaitlyn begged me to take her swimming in the condo pool...still no nap for Kysen. About 7:15 that evening, Kysen FINALLY crashed and so did Kaitlyn. They both got to sleep in bunk beds so they thought they were pretty special. WE crashed soon after.

The next fun event we had was a St. Patty's Day Feast at our house with some of our neighbors. I made Irish Stout Stew, Irish Soda Bread, Green Cupcakes, Green Punch, and then all the neighbors brought dishes to share also. We all wore green and we bought all of the female guests green tiaras and all the male guests green hats. We had so much fun. Here are a few pictures of that event. You would think this was Kysen's first birthday cake since most of the frosting found his hands and his face and NOT his mouth.

Lastly, I was tired of spending $15 every three weeks to get Kysen's hair cut. His hair grows super duper fast. So instead, I invested in some shears. I figured I would be able to do the "Fade" thing on his hair, but it was too out of control, so he got a buzz cut. It turned out pretty cute, and hey we will save $15 dollars each time! Those shears will be paid for in no time at all!

Other than that, we are just enjoying the spring like weather that we have had. WE made a trip to Denver to see some family the other weekend and ended up buying a Garmin GPS so we can get around without arguing about directions.....great investment. April 8th will bring a big 7th birthday in our house. Kaitlyn will turn 7......wow how time flies. Seems like just yesterday she was born. I will post pictures of that when the events take place.

True Beauty!

2009-02-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

Well, one of the best things about living in Colorado by the mountains is the short 45 minute drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. We officially went up there last weekend and got our park permit for the year. We decided to drive a little ways in......I stress the word LITTLE! The park ranger told us that some of the roads were a little slick so drive with caution...he was not kidding! I had permenent white knuckles half way down one of the trails and finally turned to my husband and said I am turning around. We did that on two trails....I remind you, that there are no guard rails on those trails, so one spin out on the ice and we were toast.....HOWEVER, we did manage to get some beautiful pictures. Some of these were taken by Kaitlyn so some of our heads are cut off...I apologize. I hope these give you an idea of why we call this country out here GOD'S COUNTRY! We miss you all and hopefully all of you will be able to visit and we can take you up here to see the beauty for yourselves because pictures do not do it justice.

Loss of Words!

2009-02-13T12:32:00.001-08:00

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

I have neglected to write for a few weeks now, not because we have not had some crazy things happen in our daily lives, but because I have been sadened by a story that I happened to read on a blog site that I regularly read. I am not one to read other peoples blogs, but there is one that always catches my eye. She always has fun little stories, but on this particular day, my life was changed by the story she shared.
A small little family in Kansas was taking their 10 month old daughter to a routine check up for an ear infection that would not go away....they left the doctors office with news that would change their life forever. Their 10 month old Cora was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. They took her to a nearby hospital where she was going to receive chemotherapy. One thing spiraled into another, and two weeks after arriving, their sweet little Cora left life on earth to be with her Heavenly Father! The faith that these two young parents showed during all of this was beyond what I think I could have! Here is a young couple, blindsided with devistation, and still, they looked to the Lord for comfort. I think most people would maybe be angry at the Lord, but instead, they never questioned his presence!
I have continued to read this blog DAILY! Since reading this, I have had a different outlook on my life. I don't seem to "sweat the small stuff" anymore with my kids. I don't really care how many spelling words Kailtyn got right on her spelling test as long as she tried her hardest, or if Kysen slops up his shirt while he ever so diligently tries to get the spoon of spaghetti to his mouth. This stuff just does not matter anymore. This could have been my family that this happened to...this could have been any of us learning this devistating news. Cancer does not have favorites. Instead of worrying about these little things, I pay close attention to hug and kiss my kids more everyday. I make it a point to tell my husband that I love him before rolling over and going to sleep. WE just don't know what God's plan is for us, but we have to make sure that we treat each day like the last.
Joel and Jess' hearts are so empty right now learning how to cope with the new "normal" as she quoted in her latest blog. I cannot imagine having to go through this. The one constant that is pulling them through is their faith in God! They know that she is not sick anymore, that she is not in pain anymore. As they put it, God DID answer their prayers, maybe not the way that they would have wanted him too, but when they prayed for Cora to not be sick anymore, he took the sickness away by bringing her to her heavenly home where there is no pain and suffering!
The other really cool thing that has happened, is the support they have gotten. They have received 1000's of emails on their blog site from people they don't even know, from people overseas who stumbled across their blog and have been moved just as I have. Each one of them has prayed for Cora and her family just as I have. A Cora Playground is being built in this little girls honor and people are selling really cool things on a website where all proceeds go to this cause.
I know that you don't have any idea who this family is, nor do I, but I ask you to go to their blogsite and read about this brave girl and this awesome family. I ask you also to pray for the family as they try to continue on with their lives! I have been changed by this story as I am sure you will to. Cora will never leave my mind or my heart!

It was Snow Fun!

2009-01-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

Well, our Colorado community got socked with some snow yesterday! It was enough snow that the kids could go play in it.....FINALLY Kysen could look outside and say It is Noing mommy! I thought I would share some of the fun pictures that we took of the kidos!

As much as we have enjoyed the snow and will enjoy more today, we are looking forward to it drying up so we can head out to Lincoln on Wednesday to see family and friends! I hope all of you have a super week, stay warm, and go play in the snow if you have any to enjoy!

Sure Do Love My Kidos

2009-01-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

As I lay awake last night about 3a.m I began to think about a story I heard yesterday. It was about a mother who was driving down the freeway with her three young children. She had 2 daughters and a son who were all under the age of I think five. Well, sadly, a semi truck hit them from behind and killed all three of her kids. That was back in 2006. Soon after, her husband and her started a advocate group to help semi truck drivers become aware of their ability to pay attention and drive with caution, which I think is all of us at one point or another. Soon after all of this happened, she found out she was pregnant with triplets. Then later on she found out that she was carrying 2 girls and a boy. I literally had hairs standing on my back when I read about this. She believes that her children in heaven sent down three little bundles of joy in her! This shows to me how much our lives are in the hands of God. How much he plays a part in our lives. Also, on the news last night they told about a man whose car he was driving in Colorado went off of a cliff. Oddly, it landed on a rock that was on the middle of this cliff. The driver lived! AMAZING!! Then they told the wierd part of the story....the man was trying to commit suicide. Like my husband said, a higher hand had a role in that mans life. God was not ready for him in his kingdom. These two stories really had an impact in my life yesterday! God truly has a plan for each of us and no matter if we like it or not, we have to live each day loving what we have. I am so blessed to have my two children and a loving husband! I fell asleep last night content and got to wake up this morning at 6am to two little faces saying can we lay in your bed! Life is GOOD!

Granny Update

2009-01-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Well by the grace of God and with a lot of people praying, my Grandma is back in Hastings going through intense rehab after having triple bypass surgery last tuesday! I talked to her last night for the first time in a week. Keep in mind that I usually talk to her at LEAST once a day. So needless to say, it was great to have conversation with her last night. She amazes my by her selflessness. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was reading her new Bible that a friend got her and she was thinking about her family. Not once did I hear her complain about any pain she was having or how she wished this did not happen to her. She is always thinking of everyone else! I wish I could be more like her! I smiled when she said that after she is stronger she wants to come and visit us! To be able to look forward to continued life with Granny makes me so happy. Thank you all for you prayers and for your support! God is truly the ultimate healer!

Be Strong Grandma

2009-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

As most of you all know, my grandma is so special to me. In October she had a major heart attack. She pulled through, got two stints put in, started rehab, followed the diet, and made a lot of progress. Well just last Friday she had another small heart attack, but this time there was some damage to the heart. He stints had failed.....why and how could this happen to such a wonderful and loving person. She gives so much of herself to the goodness of others. Well, the next step is to have a triple bypass tomorrow. So at 7:30 tomorrow morning, the hands of amazing doctors will take over and perform a miracle on my grandma. We know that the situation is out of our hands and in the hands of her creator. We know that she is a strong person with a lot more to do here on earth. I ask that everyone say a little prayer for her. I believe that the power of prayer is truly amazing. We love you grandma/granny great and get better!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2009-01-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

Well the Christmas season is past and the New Year has been rung in! Hard to believe. We had a busy holiday season and I am trying to get back to normal. My Mom and Grandma came down the whole week of Christmas. I think I got a lot of practice with my cooking skills. I think that I also gained 10 pounds also. We were able to wake up Christmas morning....wait a minute....we were woke up Christmas morning by Kaitlyn who was soooo excited to see what Santa had brought her. She asked him for a fishing pole...guess what, she got one. A pink and black fishing pole along with a tackle box for all her worms! She was beyond excited. Kysen was soon to follow, excited to discover that he got his first Thomas the Train Set. I kid you not, he sat on the table for an hour after he got it and played with it! I was beginning to think he was hypnotized from watching the train go around a hundred times. We then went to my aunt and uncles house where we had a feast big enough for the town of Fort Collins, and only 11 of us to put a dent in the bowls! We had a wonderful time with the family and I have to say that we were blessed my Grandma recovered from her heart attack so she could join us!
The next holiday was New Years Eve. We were blessed to move into a neighborhood with great neighbors who have kids. So we all piled in our house and ate, and ate, and did I mention that we ate? They left shortly before midnight and my kids went to bed at 11:30. Can you believe that Kysen kept his eyelids open that long!!! Don and I toasted in the New Year with a glass of wine! We had such a life changing event happen in 2008 so we are ready to see what exciting thing life brings in 2009!
As if this was not enough, New Years day we had the Huskers playing in the Gator Bowl.....what a game it was and even better that we pulled off a win. Lets just say I think I gained 10 more pounds this day trying to eat the leftover appitizers from the night before.......
So this brings us to 2009...resolutions have been made! We wish each of you a wonderful 2009 filled with prosperity and peace!

In the Mood!

2008-12-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

I came across this picture of Kaitlyn and Kysen on his first Christmas and it brought my mind back to the true meaning of the season....the birth of a child. Well it is officially one week before Christmas Eve and for some reason I am in the same place that I always am....behind on my Christmas shopping! I thought I had it all done, but I always think of those last minute things I need to buy for teachers or babysitting kids, or neighbors, etc.....why do I procrastinate so much. My mind seems to start spinning circles when I think about all the things that I need to get done in a weeks time. So instead of ponder over the craziness, I put one foot forward and begin to tackle the many tasks. I made 5 dozen cut out cookies yesterday, gathered some last minute gifts I needed to wrap, and even attempted to make a nice dinner last night....just ask my husband how that turned out. After choking down the meal, I really needed to go to the store to find Kysen a shirt to wear for Christmas, get a few more presents, and grocery shop...BUT instead my husband said, "Aimee you get Kaitlyn's reading done for the evening while I put away the dinner mess, and then we will go look at lights around town!" That was just the thing I needed to do to prepare myself for the next week ahead....a time to relax, listen to Christmas music on the radio, and look at all the beautiful lights around town! It worked...I am ready to finish everything and in fact I am going to finish it today! However, I will keep the true meaning of Christmas at the top of this long list!

A Different Perspective!

2008-12-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

As I drove my daughter to school this morning, I was elated by the fact that she was so excited to go on her first field trip for school. They were going to go to the Denver Museum of History and Science. The thing she was looking forward to the most was riding in a bus....this was her first experience. She was telling me who she wanted to sit by, how she would not want the heat blowing in her face because that makes her sick, and what ever could they talk about for an hour down to Denver. It was quite entertaining. I cannot believe that she is old enough to do this. I have been going through pictures and I saw pictures of her when she was three or so and I am amazed at how fast she has grown into a 6 year old. As I dropped her off and drove home from school a sense of sickness welted in my stomach....oh my goodness, the roads had snow on them and I was trusting someone else to drive my child in a bus to and from Denver. I just drove that trip with her last night and I drove so cautious because I had my own flesh and blood in the car and I didn't want to get into a wreck.
I am sure all of you remember being able to go on field trips as a child. How you could not wait to get on the bus, drive to the destination, miss school, take a sack lunch, and learn. Well I wonder now how my mom felt about the situation. I am sure she was excited for me to go, but I wonder if she worried about her child being in the care of someone else on the roads.
So, I am sure that she is already on her way back to the shcool by now, and I just pray that the bus driver drives as careful as I did last night on the icy roads. I also pray that my daughter had the time of her life on her first field trip and learned a lot. My Grandma told me today that I have to remember that the bus drivers are probably parents also. So I relax and take that into consideration, but I have to say, I do have a different perspective of things now that I am a parent!
I am posting a picture of her on her when she was three and one of my most recent ones. I am so proud of who she is becoming and I am just amazed at how fast the time has gone.

So Much To Be Thankful For!

2008-12-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

Well another holiday season has come and gone and our family is all preparing for the Christmas season, which well all love so much. Last night, Don was sick so he went to bed and I man-handled the children. They always seem to do something that just steals my heart and puts all my stress at ease. Last night Kailtyn and Kysen both were begging for popcorn, so I figured that was a good snack. So, I put the popcorn in, and layed a blanket on the floor for them to sit on, eat their popcorn, and watch "Polar Express", which happens to be one of our all time favorites. Soon after, the popcorn was gone and I caught out of the glimps of my eye both of them staring at the tree, giving each other hugs and talking in a language I would never understand. Of course I get the camera out and I caught some great photos.

I am so thankful for my children. After a tragic accident took the life of our friend's grandson and badly injured our friend, I have paid closer attention to those precious moments of the kids. They can so easily be our last! I know that sometimes my kids stress me out, but it is times like last night that I am reminded how precious they are and how fragle life REALLY is. Thanks be to God for family... and thanks be to God for helping my husband get better!

Who Ate The Cookie From The Cookie Jar?

2008-11-24T11:46:00.001-08:00

Well, this morning proved to be yet another excited adventure with Kysen! I decided to do the Betty Crocker thing this morning and make chocolate chip cookies...while they were baking I was working on getting the Christmas letter written! Well 8 minutes after the first batch went in the oven timer rang and I ran out to take the cookies out of the oven and place the next pan in! Well....I found a kitchen towel on the floor that was waded up and dirty. I thought maybe I just forgot to throw that one in the laundry after cleaning up dishes last night. So I went to the oven, took out the done cookies, reached for the next pan that I had ready to go!!!!! AHHHHH three of the scoops of dough were gone and there were finger streaks all over the pan, down the cabinet, across the oven, and down the wall. I just about died. Suddenly I saw Kysen bolting for the kitchen, he looked at me and I fell to the floor laughing. It was one of those moments that you cannot get mad! He had cookie dough from one piece of hair clear down to his toes. So, I had to quickly grab the camera to capture the moment, clean him off, change his clothes, and reform dough to place on the pan to go in the oven. God constantly reminds me through these events that children are true blessings! My days would be so borning if I did not have my kids to keep me entertained! Kysen must take after me...I would rather have the cookie dough than the cookie. Just thought I would share that laugh with you, and even some pictures to prove this really did happen!

Settling In

2008-11-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled across a poem that has inispired me all my life. What better of a time to stumble across it, then now. As most of you know, the move to Colorado was a hard decision for our family. We have so many great friends in Nebraska, not to mention all the family. I sometimes wondered why we even made this big move, but I know that God has a plan for us and this move was inspired by him to get out of our comfort zone and experience a new adventure. I know that for the past 3 months, there has only been one set of footsteps on my path. I know that he has carried me through this move and his helping me settle in. I know that in the past and even in the future, that I will be carried through situations where I will stumble. Someone once told me that it takes a good year to get settled in....so I continue to look up and walk on with this adventure, whether it be with another set of footprints beside me, or just one......

One Of Those Days!

2008-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it started out as an ordinary day, but it is turning out to be a day that I have had to look up and ask God to help me out, ALOT!!! I decided that today would be a good day to clean out cupboards and cabinets. Well, lets just say I have cleaned out more than anticipated. My husband got some shot glasses from Denmark from his brother when he visited there. They are now property of....the trash. My son decided to take a stool and climb on the counters and drop them. I guess maybe he is preparing for the egg drop expierement that everyone does in high school phyisics. Glass went everywhere and so did my temper! I took a deep breath, put on my shoes, got the kids out of the kitchen, and prepared to vaccum up all glass. It is amazing what other things I vaccumed off the floor. I think we need a dog to help us out! Well, I went about the usual routine of putting a few chairs on the kitchen table, a few in the living room and the bar stools on the island. I proceeded to vaccum the kitchen floor when it sounded like a bomb landed in our kitchen. My son decided to take it upon himself to try and take the chair off the table. Instead, it about took him out. Remind you, we JUST bought our new dinning room set right before we moved. Once again, I took a deep breath, chased him out of the kitchen, and looked up to God to pray for more patience in this situation. Little did I know, the chair not only fell, the wood split.....IT WAS BROKE!! God knew to take ahold of me and help me out. He must have told my husband too, because when I called to tell him about the ordeal, my husband just said, "Well, we will just have to order a new chair." Was that all he could say. I think I said a few more words than that. He is always the calm one in the family....thank goodness. So, I cringed and set the broken chair by the trash and proceeded to finish mopping the floor. Well, half way into the chore, my mop handle broke! WHAT ELSE could go wrong. So, I had to clean the rest of the floor on my hands and knees.

Well that has been my morning and I have realized something. I made it through it. My grandma called and we chatted and God was working through her also. She just calmly said, "At least no one was hurt." I am so thankful for the people in my life. They bring it to my attention everyday that material things can be replaced, but as long as my family is okay, than life is good.

I am taking a break now..reflecting on my morning, and knowing that children are a true test in life, but most importantly, I am thankful that I have them!!

Utah Trip!

2008-11-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I just returned yesterday from my fun filled weekend trip to Salt Lake City! I always go with the great intentions of taking tons of great pictures, but for some reason, I end up with maybe five or so. After arriving there on Friday, I sat in my friend Laura's car and I told her that I just did not know what to do without the kids! Well I figured out that I could do a lot of stuff and not get interupted!! I did tell Laura, that the one thing I PROMISED Kaitlyn I would do is take a picture of the high school where they filmed High School Musical. What a disappointment! You wonder why the heck they picked that school out of all the schools in America. But, I did my duty and took the picture. We went to a ski resort, the great Salt Lake, and many other places. I did get to see the Mormon Temple and all of its connected buildings.....AMAZING!! I did not go in them becuase it was Sunday and I would probably stick out like a sore thumb. I also got to see where Elizabeth Smart lives. In case you forgot, she was the girl who was kidnapped out of her own home and held captive just a few miles away and was soon discovered. It truly gave me the goosebumps seeing where that all happened. Anyways, enough with the boring vacation news. The best part was walking off the plane when I got home and seeing my kids and my husband. Kysen just started screaming and hugging me and Kailtyn ran up and gave me a hug and so did Don. It feels so good to be welcomed back home to a great family.

Future Musician

2008-11-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

I must share a funny story that took place last night. It is short so it won't take long to enjoy, but I asure you, it will make you laugh. My husband was at a dinner meeting last night and my daughter was not feeling the best so she went to bed. My son, on the other hand, was bound and determined to not fall asleep. I was watching the CMA awards and Kysen was attempting to watch but his eyelids kept going shut and then he would do something to keep himself awake. Well just when I thought he was sleeping, Brad Paisley sang a song and played his guitar. All of a sudden Kysen jumps out of my lap like he was on some mission. Well, lets just say he was. He comes running back to the living room with Kaitlyn's guitar, sat on the couch, put it around his neck just like so, and strummed and hummed. And when the song was over, he got up, put the guitar away and layed back down. He did this twice. I about died laughing. I wanted so much to get the video recorder out but I knew he would shy up and not do it if I tried to tape is so I was the only one who got to wittness this! All I have to say is tooooo cute. Do we have the next Brad Paisley in our house???

SUPRISE!!!

2008-11-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well I am off the Salt Lake City in two days!!! I have never been there so it will be a new adventure for me. Why am I going? Well on November 5th Don and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. In case you don't know Don, he is full of suprises. Every year we go through the whole, "We are not going to get eachother anything this year, we will just have a night out to ourselves and go out to eat" thing. Well I try really hard to keep that promise. This year, I did let him venture out with the guys to a Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins game. I considered that my present to him....a day out with the guys, no kids and no wife. He had a blast given the fact that Miami crushed Denver! So we headed out to dinner, while the kids stayed with some family in Fort Collins. We sit down to dinner and I said, "Well we actually kept our promise of no presents this year." Little to my knowledge I was wrong!!! He pulls out a piece of paper and says, "here read this." So I just figured it was something he looked up or some plans for the house. Well when I opened it, it was plane tickets to see my best friend in Salt Lake City. I thought well that is cool....I wonder who is going to watch the kids while we go. I just figured that he got that planned. WEll then I asked who else was going. I got the response of, "JUST YOU!" ARe you kidding me? I get to have a weekend without kids or a husband. What ever will I do. So then I looked at the date and realized that it was this weekend!! I had just 5 days to ponder going on a weekend trip by myself. So here we are 2 days till the trip. I told Don last night that I am a little nervous doing this airport thing by myself since it was the Denver International Airport.....HUGE. But he said you will be just fine! So, I prayed about this situation last night before bed.....I will be okay. How thoughtful of my husband to treat me to something for just me! I am so lucky to have him in my life. It has been the craziest 7 years (2 kids, 2 houses, a huge move, career change for me, and lots of fun memories). I look forward to the next 7 years with such a wonderful man and family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

2008-11-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the little guy in our life turned two!!! Seems like just yesterday I had him.....I kept looking at the clock all day on his birthday and thinking what I was doing at that time two years ago. It just amazes me how unbelievably fast those little kids grow. He was just not sure what to think of the birthday song being sung to him. I put the candles in his cake and we we turned out the lights and all sung Happy Birthday to him and guess what he did, he just closed his eyes. I don't think I got one picture of him with his eyes open! We got him one of those riding toys.....lets just say 2 miles an hour is toooooo fast. I think we may invest in a helmet for him. Some how he almost went down the stairs in that thing already! We also got him a big boy size bed. He was not sure how to fall asleep in such a big thing. But, he did really well in it his first night. I only had to go lay with him once in the middle of the night. During the day, he thinks it is a trampoline. That was until he fell off. I will post some pictures of his big 2nd birthday as soon as I get them on the computer.

Fall 2008

2008-11-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well I have decided to create a site that will be easily accessable for our friends and family to see what we are up to since we moved to Colorado. I will try my hardest to post current pictures so everyone can see how the little munchkins are growing up so fast.

We are settling in our new house, although we miss all of our friends and family a lot!! Kaitlyn started 1st grade in August and she can already read some hard words. Kysen is 2 this Sunday, which is really hard for me to believe. Seems like just yesterday I was up 4 hours a night with him walking the floors and listening to him scream! I watch a 4 year old Monday thru Thursdays, so Kysen likes to follow him around and learn the tricks of the trade. Don is busy at work on the Blackhawk Helicopter Hanger and Education center in Cheyenne. They are trying to get it inclosed before the first blizzard hits, which I feel is just around the corner. We just celebrated our 7th anniversary yesterday! Time flies when you are having fun!

Besides that, we are just living life to the fullest our here in the mountains. We try to take advantage of having them so close by taking road trips every weekend to a different part of the canyons. We love the beauty!