Barb

She reads my blog..thanks Barb:)

Maxie

Last night our wonderful dog Maxie got hit by a car and we had to put her to sleep. I did not grow up with a dog and can honestly say "never really wanted a dog" BUT once we had kids and could only put them off so long before we got one..I had a vision of a little fluffy cute dog, Tyler just wanted a little puppy and Nicholas just wanted a dog named Max. We walked into the animal shelter and Nicholas saw Maxie and her brother and it was love at first site for him. (Notice I said love for HIM)..I looked at her and thought "there is NOTHING cute about this dog..she is not fluffy and she looks like she belongs in the "hood"!!!" Well needless to say, Nicholas got his Max which ended up being a Maxie and I never got my fluffy dog and Tyler did not get his little puppy but 10 plus years later we all agree that Nicholas picked the PERFECT dog:)

Maxie loved EVERYONE and was not by any means a guard dog as all you had to do was look at her and she was on her back with her legs straight up wanted to be petted...not very lady-like at all;) She had a piece of all of our hearts and now she is gone. Maxie LOVED Hank..when Hank traveled Maxie would lay in front of the door and just look at it as she could not wait for him to get home. We always laughed as the kids were like "hi Dad" and Maxie was jumping (her version of a jump:) and down in excitement as her "daddy" was HOME!!
We were all there when the Dr put her to sleep and we are all heartbroken to say the least. NEVER did I think it would be this hard!! Maxie we love and miss you so much and I know you will go find Grandma and Grandpa and they will take good care of you. I am sure Grandpa had some dog treats in his pocket just waiting for you. There will NEVER be another Maxie!!

Prom 2011

Saturday Nicholas went to the his prom. His best friend since pre-school, Andrew came over and they both got ready together. Suzanne and I loved it as they honestly have a special friendship. I can remember saying "you can not play till your room is clean" and Andrew would say "I will just come over and wait"...Nicholas had a great time and I think he looked so handsome and I think Katie (his date) was just beautiful!!!

Tylers Track Meet

Whats been going on...

I can not believe it has been almost 2 months since I posted. We have been BUSY and honestly I Facebook has taken over most peoples blogging.
Here is a QUICK update on everyone''
Hank He started a NEW JOB on March at a Japanese company called Ibiden. He has been doing to Detroit and went to Hungary and Germany and will be going to Japan soon. The best part is the job is in COLUMBUS!!! Funny enough he was laid off for 2 years and ended up with 3 job offers, 2 of them days apart. It was a hard decision but we both feel he made the right choice:)
Nicholas is finishing his junior year and I am not ready for him to be a SENIOR!! He has basically decided he wants to go to IU and The Kelley School of Business there. We went Thursday and I was so IMPRESSED!! It is rated in the Top 20 Business schools and it is 1 hour away!! He does not want to swim in College which I was having a hard time with but after we went there I am OK with it..he needs to pick the place where he will get the BEST education as that is what will pay the bills and IU and Kelley will:) Prom is next weekend so pictures will be coming!!
Tyler is running Track and doing really WELL. He is a 7th grader but running Varsity, which is a good thing as ALL of the 7th grade meets have been rained out so far!! His is doing the long jump and the 200, 400 and the 400 and 800 relays. He is also playing baseball even though we have only had 1 game (which he missed because of track) as all his games have been rained out also:( Tyler is getting TALL and has a bad case of the 13's (and I am saying this with much love:)
Maxie is getting OLD!!! She misses Hank when he is out of town. With the about of hair I vacuum up you would think she would be thin but there is nothing thin about her!
Last buy not least ME. I can not believe this school year is almost over. I remember looking at our new Kindergarten class in August and missing last years class..now I look at these kids and think we can not let them go on to 1st grade. They get a piece of your heart and I will so miss them. I know next years class will be just as adorable but we do have a great group this year:) The kids keep be BUSY as I am always going somewhere to watch one of them do something and I love it!!!
I will post a few pictures as soon as I charge my camera as I did take some yesterday at Tylers track meet.
Happy May!!!

Shampoo Warning

I figured out why I've gained weight. The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my body says, "for extra volume and body." Going to start using Dawn dish washing soap. It says, "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."

(I saw this on Facebook and loved it as I realized my problem is not what I am eating..it is my shampoo;)

Tyler's Jazz Concert

Tyler plays in the Jazz Band at his middle school. They played Friday night at The Taste of Chocolate at the local mall. Each child had small solo and I had tears when Tyler played his Saxophone. Tyler is very musically inclined and had a natural athletic talent to go right along with it..(yes, this is the PROUD Mom speaking:)

Happy Birthday Mom

Last Sunday was my moms Birthday. She would have been 86!! My mom LOVED her birthday as she honestly loved attention..lol!! She also loved Lemon cake so Tyler made a lemon bundt cake and the funny thing is my sister was coming up that day (my mom also loved to shop so that is what we did:) and she made a lemon cake too!!
Happy Birthday Mom, We love and miss you A LOT!! Hugs and Kisses to you and dad!!

Winter Formal

Nicholas went to his Winter Formal last Saturday and even though I am the "MOM" I think he looked pretty darn handsome and I think Kayleigh looked beautiful!! I did get a little teary as Nicholas wore my dads tie tack. Nicholas thought the world of my dad, he once said "when I grow up I hope I am 1/2 the gentleman that Grandpa is" He was so afraid he would lose it (he didn't).
He had a GREAT time at the dance and one of the moms had them all over after the dance and they ALL spent the night there. Yes, I was OK with that as it was a HUGE group and I am glad he was not driving home in the middle of the night. The first weekend in May is the PROM and since he is a JUNIOR this will be his first year to go...I honestly can not believe he is a junior. I just can not imagine that I only have 1 more year with him at home before we both;) go off to college!

Tyler's new glasses

Tyler has been complaining a while about not be able to see the clock and stuff at school.Me being the great mom that I am called right away and got him into the eye doctor..OPPS,that is someother kids good mom, It took me MONTHS to remember to call as we have not found a eye doctor here I really like (and we have ONLY lived here 12 or 13 years:)
Well, he did need glasses, so did I but he wears his!! I have to say I am so proud of him as he has been wearing them to school all the time. He has commented on how everything is clearer which makes me even feel more like a great mom for calling, opps waiting so long!!

Happy New Year!!

We had our ANNUAL New Years Party at the Wangs House again this year. We have a fun group of friends and all the kids get along so it is always a fun night:) I only took a few pictures which is a good sign. Hank had to bring out the Moonshine again and a few new people were inducted into the "Moonshine Club" We are almost out so I am thinking they are going to have to find a "new what the hell was I thinking drink"...

Christmas 2010

It is hard to believe Christmas has come and gone for another year..I think that is a sign of age as it never seemed to go this fast when I was a kid. I have to say I was really not "feeling" it this year. I am not sure if it was me missing my parents or the boys being older. I miss the excitement of little ones at Christmas and I really miss my parents so maybe it was a combination of both.
Christmas Eve we went to church and sat with some friends and it was a beautiful service. I was teary the who service and by the time we got to Silent Night and we all had candle I was crying..not just a little..it was the "ugly cry". I think everything I had been feeling all month HIT me and my mom LOVED Christmas eve service and LOVED Silent Night with the candles. The bad part was I did not have a tissue so as I am using my "red glove" the nice lady next to me hands me a couple of tissues..I will say I honestly felt better after my cry.
Hank and the boys and I went to dinner and then came home to open our family gifts. This year we bought a new TV and cabinet and both boys just got 1 big gift from us..(Nicholas a guitar and Tyler a new TV for his Xbox). The next morning Santa came and they opened their gifts and then off to Cinti to my sisters. I did not take a picture there and am still trying to figure out why.

Merry Christmas from Us to You…

 

SURPRISE!!!

The next day after I turned 50 Denise and Hank had a SURPRISE party for me at Denise and Brians house..it was a TON of FUN and I love them both and everyone who came!!!

50 is FABULOUS

Yes..I am playing catchup. I work with the BEST group of Kindergarten teachers and TAs and when I got to school on my Birthday they had the room decorated and the biggest card I have ever seen. It was a GREAT day and if I knew 50 was going to be this fun I might have turned it sooner....

Is OPRAH said it then it must be TRUE!!!

Tomorrow, Dec, 10th is my 50th Birthday. I am really OK with it as what choice do we really have..we all age and honestly it is MUCH better to turn 50 then to never turn 50:)
I can remember when I turned 21, then 30 and then the next year (or so it seens) 40 and a week later I am knock knock knocking on 50's door. When I was a kid the years between birthdays never went this fast. Now they fly by which is such a sign of old age.
Happy 50th to me and 60's I will see you soon:)

Blue Man Group

Denise and I with "The Blue Man" He Loved us:)


The Boys with "The Blue Man"..he liked them but not as much as he liked Denise and I:)






A few years ago (I am sure it has been A LOT more then a few) we say the Blue Man Group in Vegas and LOVED the show. (We saw David Copperfield also and Hank got to go onstage and he DISAPPEARED..don't worry..he came back:)
Well, the Blue Man Group was in Indy this weekend at Clowes Hall so we bought tickets (let me just say we had GREAT TICKETS) and went and saw them with another family. We had a GREAT time. Parts of the show were the same but most was different. Hank and I both said we really need to find more things like this that the kids ACTUALLY still want to do with us. I said if someone said discribe in 1 word I would say AMAZING..2 Words-High Energy!! 3 Words-We LOVED it!!!

A GREAT Read!!

A wonderful friend of mine who moved away a few years ago just started a blog and she is FUNNY!!! Please check her out and make sure you said "Diana sent me over" so she knows to THANK ME!!! (maybe by a visit:)

12 years ago today

12 years ago today we drove to Chicago and the "stork plane" landed and we were handed the most adorable 14 month old little boy. Nicholas was finally a BIG BROTHER and we were now parents of 2 boys:) Looking back now and reading blogs I see the mistakes I made with him as he was so SCARED. He was in a wonderful foster family and was loved. We loved him but he missed them and did not want us. It honestly took a good year for the saddness to leave his eyes. I can not for the life of me find the pictures from the airport:( but these are from the next day. My parents were SO HAPPY. Looking at them with the 2 boys makes me sad as I know how much my boys are missing by not having them here anymore..they were WONDERFUL grandparents and my boys were lucky to have them for as long as they did but we all miss them!!!
Tyler we love you so much and can not imgagine our lives with out you in it!!!