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!!!

It is that time of year again..

Yes, that was a tear as it is back to school time in Indiana. I have to say this was probably the least ready I was for going back to school. The summer went way to fast and I love whatever days:) Tyler could not wait to go back to school and is a MIDDLE SCHOOLER this year as he is in 7th grade and is LOVING every minute of it!!


Nicholas on the other hand was enjoying his 2 weeks off of swim so he feels (and I agree) that summer was just starting for him. He is now in 11th grade (OMG, I have a JUNIOR!!!) A friend of mine told me about how she has her kids hold up a finger for each year (Nicholas is holding up a 1 finger for each hand as a 11:) I posted these on Facebook and Nicholas said "Do not tag me in these pictures"...lol


I can not get over how both boys have GROWN up and if I have to say so myself they are both Handsome and great kids!! I know we are LUCKY and I thank God everyday for letting me be their mom!!

I am so behind and have more post to catch up on..Tylers 13th Bday and his first football game:)
I need a new camera as my pictures have been AWFUL!!..any suggestions??

They did GREAT

Nicholas and Conner did GREAT at the Triathlon on Saturday. They went out together and came in together and had the top 2 times..I said to Nicholas your times were so much faster then so many others and he pointed out that if he was doing ALL 3 things he would not have been able to swim that hard…Next year he wants to do it all and not be on a team so this was a GREAT experience and I am so proud that he did it!! I love these pictures as you can see how HARD they tried..Did I say how PROUD I am !!! 
   Allen Smith from the Biggest Loser was there and was NICE enough to have his picture done with Denise and I and the boys:) He is just as nice as he was on the show..Best part of this is..THIS picture is his profile picture on Facebook..Yep we are FAMOUS!!!

Columbus Challenge Sprint Triathlon

Nicholas is doing the swimming part in a local Triathlon tomorrow. He has 2 friends that are doing the biking and the running part!!! Go Boys!!!

Hanks Dad

Hanks dad passed away Wednesday night this week. He had fallen the end of last week and was not doing well so Hank and his brother both booked a flight out for Friday morning but sadly enough he did not last till Hank and his brother arrived. The kids and I could not get a flight out so only Hank went. We hope to go out soon and spend some time with his mom and hopefully his mom will come spend some time with us soon:)
His dad lived a long life but it is still HARD when it is your parent who passes away.
YaYu you will be missed!!

A Fun Night

We had a some friends over on Saturday night for dinner and it was a fun evening. I tried a few new recipes and was very happy on how they turned out:)
I made the chicken and the bread pudding from Sandra Lee. I made a rum sauce to go over it and OMG it was sooo good!!! I already had for Black Beans and Rice that we really like and we also had fresh corn and fruit salad! Diane B brought over a pecan pie and homemade ice cream too!! Michelob Ultra has flavored beer and the peach passionfruit and pompagrande raseberry ones are both WONDERFUL!!! I love having friends over and it was a great night:)

2 Years!!

Today marks 2 years since my dad passed away. He had fallen in June and hit his head and had bleeding on the brain. His will to live was not there after my mom passed away 10 months earlier. I see my dad in my boys and know the respect they had for him. We miss him but we know he is with my mom on a beach with there little cooler, beer and radio and that makes us all HAPPY!! Love and Miss you both!!!

Yep..That's My SON!!

The 4H Fair has been all week and we went last night Tyler wanted to enter the Pie Eating Contest. He did it a few years ago and came in 3rd and since then has been at camp this week so never entered again. The age groups were Up to 12 (he is 12), 13-17 and adult. There were only 2 12 year olds so they placed them in the 13-17 year old group and Yes, MY Son WON!!! He won a BLUE Ribbon and $15 (and a stomach ache:). He had a ton of laughs and it was a BEAUTIFUL evening to walk around the fair!!
This was 2 years ago when he came in 3rd..I am shocked at the difference in Tyler in 2 years..

Are we ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

Tyler is at football camp this week with a friend who will be going to the other Middle School this week. I know he is having a lot of fun as I have only heard from him twice. Last night he said "Do you know how popular you are when your last name is Wang"..Not really but I am glad it is working for him:) I have to say "I really miss that kid!!!"

Nicholas' Birthday Party

Nicholas had a combined Birthday party with his friend Vanessa (just a friend) at her grandparents house on a lagoon. (What the difference is between a lagoon and a lake I am not sure)..There were A LOT of kids there and they all seemed to have a great time:) Happy 17th Birthday to Nicholas and Vanessa!!

Happy 17th Birthday Nicholas

Seventeen years ago someone made the BEST decision for herself and her baby..I THANK YOU and will always have a special place in my heart for you!!!
Nicholas you make your dad and I proud everyday. We love you and I can not imagine our life without you!! Happy 17th Birthday..We love you!!