Best kids ever!

I was standing in line at Costco and I wrapped my arms around Kathryn and started to sing
"I got the best kids ever!"
This lady in front of me turns around and in this totally serious face and tone says.Im sorry, but I have to disagree with you.Then she started to giggle and smiled. So I looked at her (with a surprised look on my face) and then broke out with..
"WE got the best kids ever!!!"
She started cracking up laughing out loud and said.. Ok, I can deal.
It was the funniest thing ever.

I'll write about Christmas tomorrow.
I have to check on Ashlyn, she's having some probs with her breathing.
So far no coughing or wheezing, but she's breathing really fast and has been crabby all evening. Lets cross our fingers she stays out of the hospital.

Lots of Love,
Shel

when did she grow up?

Why do the kids have to grow up and get older?

I wish they could stay little forever.

Kathryn has gotten sooo big. She's so awesome and I love her so so much.

She's just like her dad though at figuring stuff out. I have to boobie trap her presents just like Chris' or she figures out what they are. Chris and Katey decided to adopt a new tradition.

If you figure out what the Christmas present is, then you get to open it. I think I just wont put presents out till the last min. Well, we had Carol get the Green Machine for Brandon, and we wont tell Katey what it is because I dont want her to tell him. She swears she wont, but I still dont want to chance it. Well dummy me put on my AIM that we got a green machine for boy, and she's on AIM too.. so when she logged in, it said it under my name. She thought she was so darn cleaver. When did she get so big?
Yeah, that picture is my little Katey bug.

Carol ROCKS !!!

We have been looking for a Green Machine everywhere. We wanted to get one for Brandon. I have called Walmart, ToysRus, Target, Kmart.... nobody here has one in stock. I thought we could have it shipped but it will be $87 to ship it in time for Christmas. As a last desperate attempt to locate one, I tried the Quad Cities ToysRus and they had 1 left in stock.
Carol went and picked it up.... YES! Carol ROCKS !!!
Thanks soooooooo much!

Lots of Love,
Shel

SNOW !!

Who wants to head to the Bahama's?

Shel

I kiss your chicken!

Ashlyn Grace doesnt speak very clearly, especially when she gets excited.
We usually dont even understand what she is trying to say. She usually has the wrong word meaning something else so we have to figure out what she wants because she is asking for it.

Anyway what I mean is.....I was sick the other day and told Ash to go ask Daddy to come give mommy a kiss. She goes out to the hall comes back in... "No I no want daddy" THen she climbs into bed with me and kisses me on my cheek. I again ask her to go ask daddy to come give me a kiss. She gets off my bed, puts her hands on her hips and huffs.... then she points to my cheek and says "mama, I already kiss your chicken"

It was soooo funny.
Hope you enjoyed.
Shel

No post, just pictures.

Ash and Mama

Dusting off the tree

This tree was cold

Kathryn and Bran tired of pics

Bran cutting down the tree

Kathryn cutting down tree

Im tired, how's this tree?

Hope you enjoyed the pics,

Love Shel

Search for the perfect tree

Ever since we were little, we always cut down our Christmas tree.

We would get these huge 12ft trees and would have to tie them to the wall to keep them from falling over. Then when we got married and didnt have vaulted ceilings we had to settle for these punie little 6 ft trees. The first Christmas tree we got in our home made me cry. I was so upset with picking out such a tiny tree. Then we got it home and it went all the way up to the ceiling and it was perfect for our house. Now, I dont even care what the tree looks like. I just want what the kids think is the perfect tree. The funny thing is, that they might look perfect, and straight, on the tree farm, but when you put it in the stand it never wants to stand straight up.

This year we made our friend Crystal come with us. Her kids were at a Christmas party and she was going to just stay home and clean.... BORING ! She has a fake tree and has never cut down a real one before, so we knew she was in for a treat. When we first got there she looked at us like we were nuts. Then towards the end she was running and yelling "how bout this one" or " I found it". It was so much fun. We finally settled on a tree that everyone agreed on and Chris, Kathryn, and Brandon all took turns cutting it down.

I LOVE this time of year, and LOVE how my house smells with a Christmas tree in it.

Lots of Love,

Shel

Dove of the day 12/7

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.
- W.T. Ellis

Spider Ashlyn, Spider Ashlyn

Does whatever Spider Ashlyn wants!

Why is it, when you wake up not feeling good, and your in a funk, and you just want to go back to bed..... your 2 yr old decides to do whatever she wants?

Ashlyn decided today for the first time ever that she was just not going to take a nap today. She was in a decent mood this morning, but around nap time she was just getting into a bratty, bossy mood. I told her it was naptime, even sang her her naptime song, and kissed her nighty night. 10 mins later, I heard her playing in her room (she was talking to her babies.)

I walked in and she looked up at me and Shhhhed me cuz her babies were trying to sleep. I told he she needed to go to sleep too. I tucked her back in and left the room. I waited 15 mins and it was quiet. I peeked in her room and she was laying in her bed reading a book. UGH! I was trying to make sure she was asleep and then I was going to take a nap too... Ok attempt 3... I tell her in a stern voice if she doesnt go to bed right now, she will get a spankin (seriously could you really see me spanking this spoiled child?? ) I leave the room. 10 mins later she walks out and tells me.... "Mommy, I woke up now." In walks Kathryn from school and I know that there is no way she is taking a nap.

Isnt being a mommy grand?? (Even when you dont feel good)

Shel

Dove of the day 12/6

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukka' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukka!' or (to the atheists) "Look out for the wall!"
- Dave Barry

Personally, I cant stand.. Happy Holiday's...
Im a Merry Christmas kinda girl.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Happy Holiday's... say what YOU want, but I'll return it with a Merry Christmas from me!

Guess it must be my argumentative mood today... Im in a funk!

Love you all,
Shel

Dove of the day 12/5

If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty.'
Jeff Foxworthy

Silly Traditions

We just had our first snow storm of the season.We got a whopping 5 inches of snow and its still coming down. I was hoping for a snow day today, but nope the streets are plowed.

Well, we have a silly tradition that we have done ever since Kathryn was little. We go and make a snowball from the first snow of the year and we put it in the freezer. Then in the middle of summer, on a hot, hot day, we fill the bathtub with water and while the kids are taking their bath we throw in the snowball.Its really funny to hear the kids giggle and laugh, and watch how fast the snowball melts. Last night, Kathryn and Brandon went out when it first started snowing and made snowballs. They came in all excited holding up the first snowball of the year, and ran and put them into the freezer. Then they went back out to play. I didnt realize Ashlyn was watching them, but today when she was outside playing in the snow while Chris was plowing the drive. She made a snowball. She knocked on the door so I let her in. She held it up. "whoo hooo, snow snow" and went and put it in the freezer. Its really cute how much she tries to be like Sissy and Bro-Bro. Its also really nice that she will grow up with this silly tradition, and maybe someday they will all pass it on to their kids.

Lots of freezing cold Love,
Shel

Uncle Jack

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept,
things we don't want to know but have to learn,
and people we can't live without but have to let go.
~Author Unknown

Tonight I have sad news that my Uncle Jack has passed away.
Uncle Jack is my Grandpa's brother, my Father's uncle.
I didnt grow up spending a lot of time with Uncle Jack, but I always knew who he was. I was lucky to have worked with him for a while and do have some very nice memories of him. We are surprised by this and dont have details yet of what happened. There will be a family visitation tomarro evening, and a funeral on Thursday.

Its times like this that we need to love one another, and be thankful for our families. Tell the ones you love, that you love them, and hug your kids tight.

Lots of Love,
Shel

Lost tooth, and Dove of the day...

Hello everyone.

I hope this is a fine Tuesday for all of you as it is for us today.

Brandon is 1 mth shy of being 8yrs old and is in 2nd grade and FINALLY lost his very first tooth. Most of his friends started loosing teeth in Kindergarten, but not our boy. Kathryn was much older when she lost her first tooth too.

Well last night he bit into something and his tooth hurt. He touched it and it moved. He was so excited he couldnt wait for Daddy to get home to show him. Then after the coolness wore off and he realized he was hungry, he then learned that having a loose tooth hurts.

This morning it was sooo wiggly and he kept bumping it every time he opened his mouth. (this tooth was barely hanging on.)

So I told him to just pull it out and it wont hurt anymore.

So he grabbed the napkin and yanked that wiggly tooth right out. He was so excited and can not wait for the tooth fairy to come tonight.

On another note...

Have you ever bought a bag of Dove chocolates?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE dove chocolate candies. Not sure if its the chocolate I like, or the really sweet message thats inside the wrapper. My friend Crystal was over the other day and is having a hard time. So I broke out the dove chocolates. She got to witness firsthand what a nut I am. She popped a chocolate in her mouth and crinkled up the wrapped. "OH NO!" I said, that is NOT how you eat dove chocolate. I opened up the wrapper very carefully. I placed the chocolate on my tongue (do not chew at this point) Then read the message on the wrapper. Now you take a deep breath and Ahhhhh. Enjoy the message, enjoy the chocolate, and let the goodness fill your whole mind and body. This is when she laughed at me and said I was crazy.

I seriously do this for every single piece of dove chocolate I eat.... Try it some time.

Well I decided that the nice messages really make me smile and feel good.

So I started to send her a "dove of the day" Email. I just want to send a nice comment to make her smile. I thought, why not "dove of the day" on my blog and spread my love and happiness to all of you too!

Here is my dove of the day...

The only people you need in your life

are the ones that prove they need you in theirs.

(now Ahhh, and think about how much I need all of you in my life, and how much I love all of you.)

Lots of Love,

Shel

Wassell Family Pool Tourney

Every year Chris' family gets together for holiday's, vacation, and a pool tournement. We have such a good time every year at the pool tournement, and I think it is the most anticipated family event. Winner gets bragging rights, and their name put on a plaque, but really its all about being together, having fun, and hanging out as family.

The tournement is a best 2 out of 3, double elimination game. I am in last place, which I am totally ok with, and usually the tournement comes down to Kevin Sr. against Kevin Jr. This year was a very exciting year as Jared, the youngest player, was the winner of the winners brackett, and was up against Kevin Jr. for the championship match. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we were all holding our breaths to see how this was going to turn out.
Jared gave Kevin quite the match, but with only a few balls left on the table... Kevin Jr. once again won! We were all very proud of our Jared for kicking it up this year and pleasently surprising everyone with new face in the final game.

Check out my pictures of the tournement! (click the link)

Now that you know how great the tournement was, let me tell you how fun it was to even get to the Quad Cities that day. We live just under 2 hrs from the QC near Chicago. Its a straight shot off of I-80 and is a very easy, boring drive to get home. NOT THIS TIME !
We left at about noon, as we wanted plenty of time to get there, visit with my family, and shower and get ready. We proceeded to get onto the interstate and went 1 mile and then sat, and sat, and sat for an hour. We finally start creeping along just to find out there was a 20+ car pile up on the interstate because of the winter storm that had come in, and we were being turned around in the median and sent back the other direction. Oh NO ! how to get home now?
As I said before, this is the most anticipated family event of the year and Chris would do anything to get there. So we get on our GPS and look up a alternate route. We get on US30 and start our slow slippery drive towards the QC. Once we get past the bridge we decide to try the interstate again and we had luckily past the point of the accident. We are now about 2 hours into the trip and have gone about 8 exits from our home... UGH !
So we are on our way, on a fairly empty interstate doing about 40 mph, very slow, but on our way none the less. We get about half way home and this car in front of us starts to swirve into the other lane and brake. We are not sure if this guy is sliding, spining, or what the heck he is doing so chris tries to slow down without causing us to slide.... all of a sudden there is a goose in the middle of the road and nothing we can do to avoid hitting him. It was so fast, and so sad.

We finally get to the QC at it is now 4:30... I couldnt belive our trip had taken almost 5 hrs. We scramble to get changed, bring in the suitcases and kids, and dog and get ready. The pool tourney starts in half an hour. Luckily the first hour is just practice so we are good. We are all ready to go, kiss the kids goodbye and WHAM !!! Power goes out. CRAP!
We scramble to find all the candles and flashlights and get them lit so we can jet. Papa gets back with KFC and the kids eat by candle light. Now we head out and on the way a transformer blows right in front of us, and I scream. The whole ride over was one after another transformers blowing and lighting up the sky. Ice was covering everything!

Alex decided to go pick up the kids and take them to BARBIE'S house. SHE was out of power too, but SHE had a generator and that way they could watch tv with Timmy and Maddie and have portable heaters to keep warm. I still can not believe how terrible the weather was, and had it not been for the tourney there would have been no way we would have headed home.
(Please note that Barbie noticed and corrected my mistakes, Thats why they are in green! Love you girl, that was so funny)

It was worth the trip, but maybe next year we can move the tourney into better weather season for the out of towners...
Thats all for now....

Lots of Love,
Shel

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday of the year.
I love getting together with the whole family and not having the kids worried about when we are going to open presents, or do the egg hunt. Everyone just gets together and has a great time and you just think about what you are thankful for.

This Thanksgiving, although was yummy and a great family get together, was also filled with sadness. A great family friend, Gene Lindstrom had a terrible tractor accident and is no longer with us. Gene and his wife Jan, were best friends with Chris' parents. They were "traveling buddies". They had all just gone on a week long road trip and had the most wonderful time. As Carol put it in her speech, who knew that 48hrs later he would be gone. Carol also said that he was the most outgoing person she had ever met. He would talk to anyone, would always help anyone who needed it, and was just a wonderful caring person. He was a random act of kindness kinda person. So when you are out and about shopping for Christmas, try to look around and see if anyone needs help, say hello with a smile to the person next to you, and most of all, make sure you tell the people you love that you love them.

What are you thankful for this year?
I am thankful for my family, my children, my husband, all of my friends, and I am thankful to live closer to home. I am thankful that my children are healthy. I am thankful to have all of our parents and grandparents in our lives. I am thankful for all the love that surrounds me every single day. ( Im am thankful for my clothes, ha ha ha, remember that Cassie?)
Oh, and I am def. thankful for chocolate! : )

Everyone here at the Power house is doing pretty well.
Ashlyn is having some trouble with her breathing and is back on breathing treatments. We are hoping this doesnt land us in the hospital as it always has in the past.
Brandon's face is healing nicely, and he is still crazy as ever.
Kathryn is growing up way to fast for me, and is just beautiful... I am soo scared HA!
Chris is doing well with his job, still likes it, and has become quite the woodworking baker..
He enjoys building things out of wood, and can cook up a mean turtle pie and chocolate chip cookies. YUMMY! He's def. a hit with all the mom's on the train when he brings in chocolate.
I am busy cleaning like mad for Christmas.. I am very excited that my parents will be coming up Christmas eve and staying the night to be here Christmas day to open presents with the kids.
I hope we can turn this into a tradition.

I hope everyone is doing well, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I send you all Lots of Love,
Shel

OH BOY !!!

Brandon fits the old saying... boys will be boys.

Man he is so different than his sisters. He is wild and crazy and he is all boy for sure.

Well, he was swinging on the swingset, he was trying to swing as high as he could so he could jump off really far. He was getting ready to jump and went for the final pump before jumping.

So on the back swing he leaned back real hard to pump as hard as he could, and when he did that he leaned too hard and did a back flip off the swing and landed on his face.

He couldnt see anything but black for a few seconds and then he couldnt remember what happened. He's much better now but we are still trying to keep him relaxed.

His poor little face looks sooo horrible. But he is lucky that he didnt break his neck, nose, arm or a leg. All this just in time to go home for the holidays.

Shel

Little Man

Brandon, my little man, is the best little guy ever.

Brandon will always have a special place in my heart cuz he's my only boy.

I tell them all they are special...

Kathryn is special cuz she made me a mama.

Brandon is special cuz he's my only boy.

Ashlyn Grace is special cuz she's my last baby.

I am so in love with all of my kids.

Branner is a bit of a scare dee cat. He HATES when someone jumps out and scares him, and he wont watch scarey movies. He's really a lot like his mama. I am a HUGE chicken. Well he went to a friends house the other day, and they showed him this Email and all of a sudden this scarey face jumps out at you and he let out this scream and was bawling his head off. His poor friends thought it would be funny, but then were really upset that Brandon got upset. You have to know these kids are the best behaved kids ever and would have never done that to him had they known how much he gets scared. My poor little man was then connected to my hip all night. Which I didnt mind because I love to cuddle him, and since he's such a big busy boy, I dont get to do that often.

Also, my Bran changes so dramatically with his likes.

We have had our share of hair styles. He has had long hair,he wanted a "reverse mohawk" so he could look like his grandpa Jim. He's has has a buzzed head, a shaved bald head, a mohawk, and now he wants to grow it long again and pierce his ear. Im not sure about the pierced ear, but we have plenty of time to talk about it before his hair is long again. I just love how fun he is.

Raising a boy, is so much different than raising a girls.

Luckily though, he is turning out more and more like his daddy every day.

Shel

My awesome girls!

My girls are totally awesome.

They love each other so much. I always knew Katey ( I mean Kathryn) would be a great sister to Ashlyn. She's been awesome with Brandon, but I never knew how close they would be since they are 8 yrs apart. But Kathryn is wonderful with Ashlyn. I love watching them together, Ashlyn really looks up to both Kathryn and Brandon.

Anyway, today Branner went to a friends house and Kathryn of course came home from school and immediatly wanted to call a friend. (ahh the life of a pre-teen).

So Kathryn is on the phone and totally into her conversation and Ashlyn has 2 baby dolls in her arms. She comes up to her sissy and says "Sissy, baby is crying" and without missing a beat, Kathryn scoups up the baby and starts to rock her and pat her bath, all the while talking a mile a min. with her friend. This made Ashlyn really happy and she started to rock and pat her baby too.

A few mins. later Kathryn is in her room, still on the phone, and Ashlyn notices the baby laying on the floor. She says "oh no" and picks up the baby and walks up to Kathryn's room.

She knocks on the door and says "sissy, sissy, your baby, open the door".

The door opens, and Kathryn takes the baby, ushers Ashlyn into the room, and shuts the door. She didnt see that I noticed because she was so into her phone call, but I stood at the end of the hall, smiling and thinking to myself...

I love being the mommy of my 2 girls.

Shel

Jumpin in the leaves

Yesterday evening Chris decided to rake the front yard.
He raked all the leaves into this HUGE pile in the center of the yard and Ashlyn followed him around like a shadow. She had a kid sized snow shovel and was helping Chris "clean the grass".
After they got all the leaves in to a pile we told her to jump in the leaves. She was laughing so hard and throwing the leaves into the air. It was really cute. We let Capone (our 5 mth Great Dane) out, and he went crazy in the leaves. He would run straight at the leaves and then leap into the center and he would bury his head under the leaves and then hop thru the entire pile.
The whole time he's doing this, Ashlyn is histerical laughing at him which just makes him more wound up. Even Chris and I were laughing it was so funny. I told him when we do the back yard we have to get a video clip and some pictures of the kids and the puppy playing in the leaves.

Watching them laugh and play in the leaves made me think... How lucky am I to have such a wonderful family? I must be the luckiest mom in the world.

We also got the kids new winter coats. Brandon's has a lighter jacket thats inside that is removable, and its an orange coat.. Hopefully people will be able to see him with such a bright coat.... lol Ashlyn's coat is bright light green and pink. She was so excited to get her new coat and she thinks she is so big wearing it. I'll get some pictures of her in her coat to share.

Kathryn and Chris just want it to hurry up and snow already.

Me??? Im ready for summer!

Shel