HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to KYLIE!!! She is 12 now, the "pre-teen" has hit. I have been trying to figure out how to get her what she wants and exactly what it is and even with her mom and dad's help, I stink at figuring it out. Guess you could call me the worst Aunt ever!!! I'll have to let her get it herself!! Anyway, Kylie is one amazing young lady. She has lived the life of a military child and has done it well. All the moving, the daddy leaving, the changing schools, the making new friends, the visiting and putting up with crazy relatives (me for one), always dealing with the crying ding-dongs and the horrible Aunt and taking it all in stride. I am sure she has her moments, but overall an amazing, gorgeous young lady.

I love her and miss her so much.

When Kylie was born, she came home to my house (where I am now). It was the HOT, HOT summer of 1995, maybe some of you remember that summer. I know Kylie's mom and I remember we were both pregnant, staying in a house with 1 window unit air conditioner (central air was not in a newly weds budget). You have no idea what hot is until you spend a summer pregnant without AIR. She was so beautiful when she was born and we were all so proud and yes I was crying then too!

I cannot believe it has been 12 years since she was born and how grown up she is. Happy Birthday to one amazing, brilliant and resilient young lady. I know Kylie is going to grow up to be one of those women you read about and just want to meet, nothing will stop her!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE!!!!!

Meet the other teachers!

MIS had the school openhouse this evening. I was able to go and meet all 3 of Adam's main teachers. Again, I am just tickled. I could not have picked a better set of teachers for my boy. They are organized and together and like a team, a team of teachers, how cool is that. I do find it funny that in 6th grade the teachers are more involved than in 5th grade, whatcha gonna do?! And guess what..........all of his teachers email and agree it is the best way for them to communicate, I AM CONNECTED. I did not get to take pictures of his teachers, it is frowned upon by the too cool boy (one day I'll sneak a couple shots).

Adam's heel is still doing better, can't wait to see the Dr. on Friday to see what more we can do for him or if it is something more than growing pains. I have been researching and as close as I can diagnose him is this Severs disease and we'll need to get him to a specialist. I know that Dr. gave him heel stretches to do last year when he got his check up and complained about the discomfort he has endured. I need to ask him about doing those stretches more! His heels are flexible though, he walks on his toes or flat footed neither is a problem. Please continue to keep him in your prayers and thanks again.

Being wrong happens more than I would like to admit!

Thank you for praying for Adam. Today was much better for him. He could not wait to get to practice and hustled while he was there! I still made, another, appointment for Adam. I am very concerned about his "growing pains".
May I tell you that girls are not the only ones who go through crazy hormonal changes at the age of 10, 11, 12 etc...... I love my boy, he is not himself right now. Besides growing pains he is going through changes. Sometimes we can joke about it and sometimes he is so sensitive. I had a crazy thought, when he was first born, that because I had a boy I wouldn't have to go through this, I thought we would have to go through the whole "Peter Brady voice change" and that was it. Boy oh boy was I WRONG!!!!

Real quick

Please pray for my oldest, Adam; he has been suffering from heel pain for over 1 year. We have been to the Doc for it and it is growing pains. Today the pain was so severe he did not play in his football game, I gave him the whole, "suck it up" pep talk and it didn't work, I gave him the whole "I love how you played last week, let's do it again," and it didn't work, I gave him the whole "your team is counting on you" and it didn't work. I know the pain is there and he is growing very quickly, he aches and needs prayer. Adam knows God can heal him and is trusting for it, he has a very positive outlook, Please pray, when you remember Adam! Thank you in advance, I am trusting for a miracle in His name!

I paid attention

Yesterday we had a picnic to go to and my husband volunteered me for salads, in his words: "Not pasta or picnic salads, GREEN salads". For those of you who know me, this was not my norm. I couldn't believe it, I usually take some kind of dessert or entree or something that takes a little more effort. He said it was the only thing left so I went with it......

I made two salads, one was Cesar Salad and the other was just an oil and vinegar dinner salad. Anyway, I paid attention when I was putting together the Cesar Salad Dressing and can share it here it goes:

2 egg yolks
1tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 clove of garlic (peeled)
2 anchovie filets (right out of the can)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper (fresh ground is best)
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup fresh parmasean cheese

put all above ingredients in a blender to chop and mix until looks somewhat creamy, you could also put it in a food processor, or just chop it all by hand and then mash it up together and then mix.

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Using a whisk: Whisk in olive oil, slowly, whisking quickly adding oil slow, being sure to incorporate it all before adding more, it is very important to emulsify the oil and other ingredients, otherwise you will have a "seperation".

Taste and adjust flavors as necessary to your liking.

Now put together the salad:
Romaine lettuce is best, tear into bite size pieces add black olives, tomato, parmasean cheese, and red onion, mix together and then put in the cesar dressing and get your hands in it and mix the dressing all through!

Some additions:
Croutons: store bought or you can chop up french bread and fry in a mixture of olive oil and salad oil until it looks of a goldenish color, remove and add salt, pepper and parmesean cheese.

Grilled Chicken Breast or Tenderloins: marinate chicken breast or tenderloins in something like lemon juice salt, pepper, garlic (either let it sit up to one day or use immediately). Grill until the markings, grill marks, are pretty, remove from grill put in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and you will have still juicy all cooked chicken. If you are using tenderloins, just grill and use, they are thinner and more tender so they do not take any amount of time to cook (we really started using these more when I went back to work). Slice up and add to salad.

Steak: Grill to your liking (please season first) slice and add to your salad.

Anyway, we had plain old cesar salad with croutons and I liked it! But I was more impressed that I paid attention to the ingredient amounts that I had to share!

Training and signing

In case your wondering the kids had a great second day.

I had an interesting day, the best way to train on a new job. Our hostlers put a locomotive on the ground, derailed, first thing this morning. Because of the rain there were tracks washed out in Wisconsin on Sunday night. They have now repaired that or rerouted the trains (not sure) and we are getting all the locomotives we were expecting Monday and Tuesday. Lots of moving around and making up consist to get trains out on time. I saw frustration in the faces of the gentlemen I am training with. They still trained even through it all. When I was in commuter service a derailment is even more stressful!!!!!!! We have to get trains out, there are thousands waiting on trains to pick them up and take them home to those that love them!! We need to run on time!!!! If this would have happened in the commuter service I would have been home late, around 8pm or so, but it happened in freight and I went home on time, yea!!! Still stressful, but not the same stress we rescheduled a couple trains and pulled the other engines away and found other engines to work and it was fine. Talk about learning in the midst!!

So neat for me, God has been so faithful in this new career choice of mine. I have went from not knowing 1 THING about the railroad to having a good understanding! I am putting things together. It is so awesome to recall from your memory something that didn't make sense earlier and does later...........WOW.............

Off to do my homework for the kids school and sign my name and sign my name and sign my nammmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..... you get what I mean all these papers that come home from school and we as parents need to sign. I spent all Tuesday evening, Wednesday evening and tonight just reading and signing!!!

School starts

Am I the only one who used to get excited about wearing my new clothes to school on the first day? I am viewing the pictures of my kids getting on the bus for the first day 2007 (I wasn't there, Larry took pictures) and I can't believe they are in the same old clothes they have been wearing!! Alright, except Adam, he has on new shoes and a new t-shirt (woohoo). I remember picking out the cutest or coolest outfit of the two or three mom bought for back to school and wearing that and it was a big deal. Maybe it was just me!? They were all excited for back to school and all had a great day (YEA).

I am so pleased, my husband has stepped right into the roll I used to have (he is no mama) he has taken it so well and is says he is proud to do it. I know this roll is different for him (and me) but he does it so well. I know taking these pictures was just for me (I charged the camera and left it where he could conveniently find it and left a big note on the door about pictures) maybe I helped a little. I believe we have to help each other out and not wait for our spouse to figure out what we want (another post at a later time).

Meet the Teacher

Back to school!! We went to meet our new teachers for this year and we are so excited and so proud!! I am really pleased with the school my children attend, I don't think there is a "bad" teacher in the bunch!!

When they go back to school and you know the teachers (for the most part) it makes it more exciting to see just which one they will be paired up with. The kids are so excited to see friends they haven't seen for a whole 2 months!!

My baby is on to a "real" school now. He has been attending a private pre K and K class and has done very well at that school. I was a little nervous about how he would take the move. He again arose to the occasion and took it in stride, walked right in found his desk and made himself comfy!!

Another cool thing is that he ran into one of his buds from K and hugged him and was so happy to see him. It is hard for me to believe that he would have any of the 6 other kids attend the same school as he is. They are not in the same class but will be able to attend lunch and recess together!!!

Windy got a teacher, I really don't know all to well, but I have heard about her and I am excited to see her bring out Windy's best. She communicates through email (sooooooooo happy) and all the other ways. I communicate very well through email, because I can do it in the early AM or late late PM and they can respond when it is good for them!!!

I already feel connected to school and the teachers!!

Windy also ran into one of her friends and was happy to see her. She does see her often and talk on the phone to her ofter (already a typical girl). Still they do very well together and it is nice to see them with their close friends. All in all a good meet the teacher and making it a GREAT back to school.

Daddy gets to watch all of them get on their buses tomorrow to the first day. I do miss the awesome coffee clutch in the morning wait for the bus, my neighbor, myself and our 7 children, 3-4 of who were waiting to leave and the others would still be playing outside because we got lost in our coffee and conversation!

New training

New training... I started training at another facility today. I would call it a promotion. I am making the same money and have the same title. Now I am learning allllllllllllllllllllll about locomotives and freight. I have been trained mostly on Suburban Service (commuter trains) and cars (the coaches) and now I get to learn both about Locos and freight service. I have a lot of training to do in the next month, to make myself more marketable for the "exempt" position I so desire and know I have been promised!! I have already learned a ton from the gentleman who is training me, he is very knowledgeable and a teacher (in my opinion). I am so excited for this training I am receiving and know that it is not something that "normally" happens. I know someone even higher than our company ordered it, Thank GOD!!

I cannot even explain the way I feel, the opportunity given to me, it is unimaginable!! Let me tell you, I have been pretty much a SAHM for more than 11 years. I got to raise my own children until time for them to go to school. I could not have orchestrated this for myself. I actually started looking for a job about 1 1/2 years earlier than when one finally came through. I guess that was to early, I never got discouraged, even when I had an interview and didn't get the job with the company I am with now (it was too soon). It is so nice to rest in peace and understanding, isn't it? I started out at a position, just to get my foot in the door and the possibilities and opportunities have been endless. I am a little held back by the fact that I want to stay in my area for a time, but it hasn't held me back from my Promises!!

I guess tonight I am just in AWE of how God has worked things out and how they continue to work out for my family. I don't think I am getting my emotions or my amazement across just right. Have you ever felt like that!? Is it a great feeling or is it sometimes a feeling of frustration until you see it work through?

Changes

So many things have happened since my last blog.....

Wednesday night, with the rest of NW Indiana, we were caught in a "Micro-burst" (there had to be at least one tornado in the area), as a result we lost our power. I was in the middle of posting a new blog and decided to hurry up and post and then shut down the computer. I thought I posted, but did not!! We did not receive power until some time Friday. We did not want to spend another evening in the dark, so we went to my in-laws and spent the night, my entire family.

I have received something of a promotion at work. It is more training in order to move up in the company.

Adam is playing football still and seems to be very excited and doing it strictly for himself to enjoy. Windy and Mitchell start soccer next week. Everyone is excited about back-to-school.

It is Friday night, most of the family is home and it is time for me to enjoy them!!!

Have a great FRIDAY night. TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try to get somewhere near "normal"

Now that is one GORGEOUS young lady!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is sooooooooo handsome!!!!!

Sweetest Baby Girl EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

Things get put back into perspective. The rippin, runnin & roarin of the weekend come to a halt. I went back to work. Larry took a day off to get the kids some much needed rest (and himself I might add), get their routines back and just in general, take it slower!!




Everyone here is back on schedule, I'm thinking that that is more than my cousin can say for her family. They are 5 hours ahead? (pretty sure). It is hard enough for me to get back on schedule, I can only imagine how hard it is to get children and a baby back on schedule. Please, please pray for my cousin and her family and their schedules. I want them to be as blessed by our weekend as we are. I do not want any regrets or heartache for them. I know that this weekend did not come without sacrifice from them!

WOW!!

This was an awesome, totally unplanned weekend. As I stated in the earlier posts we were surprised by family coming to visit. They showed on our doorstep and truly blessed us this weekend!! Sadly, all good things must end and they are on their way home. It will be a long trip for them. I am sure that traveling through time zones doesn't come without a cost. I know this trip was and still is really hard on them and their family, I am so thankful for the effort and time they put in to come and visit.

So you know, this isn't just family...the kind you have to love but not so much like, this is the kind we love and like and enjoy to be around..

I really believe the kids enjoyed each other every minute they got to be together (we really tried not to seperate them). Thanks to Nana on Friday for keeping them together and taking 5 kids to bowling and everything else you did with them.

All-in-all a successful and enjoyable weekend. I could never, never have planned anything so sweet and so enjoyable.

THANK YOU to the Lomelin's for making our weekend, for taking time out, for the mixing up of time zones, for the awesome surprise, for thinking enough of us to come and visit, really for making a very special memory, and most of all just for being our friends and family. We truly enjoyed you!!

Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still Blessed, totally

So the family is visiting, the kids have spent the past 24hrs with their cousins and have not been apart for even a moment. They really are enjoying each other. But no one did any chores today and I am off to meet the rest of the family camping!!! Just imagine what your house would look like if nothing got picked up all day, but EVERYTHING got pulled out!! Forget about it, I'm off to enjoy family in a clean camper!!

SOOOOOOOO TOTALLY BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We answered the door, I knew my cousin Polly was "bringing gifts" for the kids. I really felt bad that she felt she needed to bring gifts for my kids, or that she would, honestly, need a reason for stopping by.......

Larry answered the door, I didn't hear Leo's voice or Jordan's voice or Polly's voice

I heard voices that sounded like Kylie and Nathan....................................................and it was, and Ava and their mom and dad!!!

It was my family, my cousin and her husband, Larry's best friend he grew up with and their 3 beautiful, wonderful children!! We haven't seen my cousin and the kids for a year and we haven't seen their dad for two years.

Now they are here, just for a very very short time and I am so unbelievably, totally blessed by them.

Tony serves in the Air Force and has for 16+ or 18+? years, they have been all over the US and all over outside the US. We don't get to see them very often, but try try try to keep in close contact.

I love them so much!!

Yes, I cried, that wasn't a fair bet, everyone knew I would cry. It would have been a more interesting bet to see how long I would cry!!!

Thank you Tony, Shane, Kylie, Nathan, and Ava for the surprise visit I miss you so much and love to see you when you have a chance!!!!

This one's for LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my "nephew" Leo. He belongs to my (you could call her) cousin, we have always been much closer than that, so I am honored that she would have her children call me AUNTIE!!! Leo is a bit older than 2 and is soooo sweet and so kind and he loves our dog Buddy. They have watched our dog on occasion when we are out of town and it is very difficult for me to take my dog home and away from Leo. I thought we loved our dog so much, but one day his mommy had to bring him just to see Buddy, sadly, not auntie, but Buddy!!!!!!

The story behind Buddy: He is a dog, I prayed for. We knew we were about to lose our grouchy, came with the marriage, dog Sparky (I actually asked him to finally just die and he didn't). One of my friends and I were talking on the phone and she (who is an absolute dog lover, no children) was telling me about this dog they took in, who was very well taken care of and their neighbors best friend. Her neighbor moved to an apartment and couldn't take Buddy. The person he had left him with, didn't have time or didn't want to do it, they didn't take very good care of him. My girlfriend ended up with him but couldn't really handle another dog. I went to go look at him and fell in love immediately, but wasn't sure if we could fit a "HORSE" inside our house. TWO WEEKS LATER, I went back (with my husband's blessing) and Buddy was one of the family!!!!!!!!!!

Not always routining well!!

Football starts the first week of August.....I know this, we have been involved for going on 7 years now. I usually sign whoever wants to play football or cheerleading back in January...I didn't. Received a phone call wondering where those Witt kids are? Mrs. Routine and Plans-a-lot, forgot the routine and failed to PLAN!! There I stood tonight with registration papers in hand and check with a late sign-up fee, one of the late parents. Adam is the only Witt kid that wants to play this year. Windy wants to play soccer and is already signed up (Thanks to Mrs. Plans-a-lot). But because Windy does not want to cheer, I am not coaching (there is a large part of me cheering right now and a small part of me remembering the few sweet cheerleaders I enjoyed for the past few years). Mitch, we knew wasn't going to play, he loved it and had a fantastic time the first two weeks last year, he was always ready and waiting, then they said to put on the pads and have full practice, he did and looked at himself in the mirror (we learned this with Adam, they don't realize they also look bigger with their pads on, they just think everyone else looks bigger) and was ready to go.......2 minutes after that practice started his daddy walked him to where the girls cheered and said, "he's done", I tried to let him go back and play a couple more times, he absolutely did not!!!! Mitch is playing soccer! Adam is moving up to the older, heavier team this year, I gave him an out, I made sure he knew I don't care if he plays football or not, I just want to support him and enjoy him enjoying himself. It was nice to hear him be so sure that it didn't matter what team he was on, he IS playing football.

THEY DID IT!!!!!!!! and LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!

The kids are home, and might I say; happy to be home, with mom and dad, with rules, with bedtime, with showers, with dinner at the table and happy about it!!! They were excited to get home their own beds, I heard that several times on the way home in the car.

However, I heard more about the fun they had while they were gone than how much they missed mom and dad and home. They went to the air zoo and they went to Silver Lake and they rode the Dune Ride and they just really enjoyed being with their grandpa and I think their Grandpa enjoyed them. All-in-all a SUCCESS.

I am so happy they are home and I got to hug on them and listen to the good time they had and that they are home safe. I really, really missed them and found that I was very concerned about them when they were gone............just a mom, for real, I guess!!!!!

Good night of sleep

So last night was an awesome night out with another couple, we ate, we laughed, the waitress made us laugh (my husband tipped more than the 20% I trained, taught him to), we went home, changed t0 jammies (with a bra) and went to their house to laugh and joke and tell more stories!! Then I found out today was the day I wanted to plan to go to a bridal shower and didn't plan to, my friend (I went to dinner with, reminded me and picked me up) picked me up and off we went. She is very young, and so Beautiful and so short on time for planning a wedding and shower, but she did it and everything, EVERYTHING, is perfect. She is a beautiful young lady and he is a handsome young man and this wedding is soooooooooooooo meant to be, that God is pulling things and putting things together for them!! My husband and I planned our wedding in 4 months and always knew it was meant to be (inspite of others concerns, we planned so fast) and it has been an awesome yet scary yet fun, yet mean, yet meaningful, trip so far............ and that is what I see in this couple's future. What God has put together, LET NO MAN, tear apart!!!!!!!!! It so doesn't matter what anyone feels or thinks, if God put you together, if you are a praying couple, if you believe in the love of Christ and if you continue, continue and continue to have FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!

Time for us!!

I am so excited, Larry is getting ready to take me to dinner (I am ready and waiting, that is why I have time to blog). It is not that we don't get alone time, we do get more than most parents. We do have the most wonderful Grandparents, not only for our children, but for us as a couple also. We do get away and can ask for help or babysitters or time or whatever and aren't given a guilt trip, like I hear other parents are given. It does make it easier to ask for help when you feel as though the Grandparents are actually blessed by them and want to spend time with them without the parents!!! Anyway, we are going to dinner,with another couple,whose children are all grown and they are now grandparents, but we really enjoy being out with this couple. They are down to earth and friendly and enjoy laughing and talking and just having a good time (I know I need this, and I am pretty sure Larry does, hope they do). It is just dinner, but it is adult conversation, no reminding kids to use their napkins, not to gulp their milk, not to rush eating, not trying to pull teeth for them to sit at the table just a little longer, not dragging out conversation, no arguing, no disciplining at the dinner table (my, my we do do a lot at our dinner table).. don't get me wrong I LOVE our dinner table and family dinners we try to have each night, I do feel it brings us closer, but all the above does happen at our dinner table and lots of joyous stuff also, much of it is spent trying to raise young gentlemen and a precious young lady. Gosh, I hope we are not alone in this dinner table routine, what does your dinner table look and sound like, am I alone in this STUFF to have dinner or the JOY of having a family dinner?! Anyway, thank you Grandpa Pat for entertaining and sharing in an entire week with my children and Thank You to: Grama, Papaw and Nana for giving Larry and I the opportunity to be a couple and not only parents, it is because of your love and help and teaching that has made us more than just parents but a couple that enjoys being together. Now that I am thinking about that, it is such an awesome and wonderful act only one person could really pull together! Thank God for his blessings!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please share about your dinner table, good, bad, joyous and ugly!!

I wanna be just like you

Yes, these are all mine, crushing, aluminum cans!!!!! A new family affair?

Grampa and the kids have moved on to another campground further up into MI culvert campground and they are having a blast. Even, Mitchell, who sometimes misses being home. He doesn't really miss us, he just likes being home and knowing what to expect next. These kids have had so many vacations this year, I hope they are memorable to them and not a pain and not just aspoilin!! I do like to think of them as good kids, but when someone else, like Grampa, is enjoying them and not being stressed out by them, there is a sense of joy (is that what I want to call it), it really, really makes me happy to talk to my dad and find out everything is going good and everyone is doing fine!! It is aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa relief or a joy or a somethin or both or somethin, that someone else can enjoy my children the way I do. I am sure they have had their moments and my dad is sparing me, but the two vacations they have taken, have BLESSED me this summer.

You know, I know people hear it and say it all the time, I am out of the diapering and chasing stage, children do grow up so quickly, and not quickly enough for them. I have been told by a couple of teachers, that my Adam is very innocent, this is so awesome and at the same point scary, he is going into 6th grade. Should I have educated him more about life, he really does not want to know, should I have let him seen more, he never really wanted to, should I have kept homeschooling or put him back in private school, that wasn't the direction I was given!!! We go on with the choices that we have made and pray, pray, pray they are right, even when we are sure they are right we still wonder if we did what was best. That part of raising children, I am beginning to believe, is never over and never grown out of. I go through the same with the other two kids, but Adam is the oldest and has such passion, when he is happy, he is out-of-this-world happy and when he is mad it is something else!! He knows he can control it and doesn't always want to (don't know where he could poooosissssssssibly get that from, sorry Adam) He does want you to know he is angry or hurt and he does want you to know he is happy and trying. He really is a good kid with a lot of passion about lots of things.

I have called Adam a gentleman from the time he is born. He is much, much like his father (I always allow his father to be the gentleman he is and have always allowed Adam to be that same gentleman) same passion about happiness and anger, he walks like him and tries to talk like him, I really believe, he wants to be just like him. That country song by Rodney Atkins or that song by Phillips, craig, dean where they want to be just like dad and he isn't perfect both of those are so perfect!!!!!!!!

The night before they left to go tent camping, we took them to dinner and this is the picture they had to take

When the kids left for California with Nana to see GGBB (Great Grandma, my mom's mom)