8 months and growing ...

Ashlyn is now 35 weeks old.  She's working on teeth and I can feel one on the bottom and more trying to come through.  She's standing up by herself and only wants to stand.  When I lay her in her crib for her naps, she stands up and then freezes.  She doesn't yet know how to get back down.  Last night she was even walking along the couch!  I can't believe she's in this stage already.  Mike thinks she going to be a young walker!

Pray for her today and this week if you can.  She's dealing with a nasty cough and teething!

Here is our baby at 35 weeks ...

It's so good to be back home!!!

We've been in and out of our home all weekend!!!  Mike left Sunday afternoon for the cabin and took his youngest brother with him to hunt.  Mike's not been hunting much at all (I think he's only gone twice before this weekend.)  He used to really love archery season and went often but his interests have gone to stocks and the money market.  He loves it!  Anyway, he headed for the cabin Sunday afternoon and so the kids and I went to hang out at my moms for the next few days.  This has become a tradition and it's always a great time!

Unloading all our things at moms is hard work!  I only have three kids and I feel over worked just to have a sleep over at moms!  (Us ladies talked about how if this would be our men taking care of the kids and trying to hang out ... we don't think they would go through all the dragging, loading, carrying, and work.  I wonder what their activities would be???)  We played "golf" and ate pizza.  The kids had fun with their cousins and it was late before we knew it.  Getting everyone settled with their friends and blankets was just another chore before I could crawl into bed.  (I don't mean to sound whiny about this all.  I wouldn't have to do it.  I just think being a mom isn't always an easy task, especially when you go away!)

Monday was a warm day.  So nice for the children to play outside!  I stopped at home to do a load of laundry and then went to my first "Norwex" party.  Unbelievable and I am sold!  Those rags work wonders and I can't wait to have some for myself!  After the party, we went shopping for poinsettias.  These Christmas flowers are so pretty and they add the perfect touch to my holiday decor!  Then we went back to mom's to do our annual candy coating.  We do lots of peanut butter crackers covered in milk chocolate!  They are so yummy!  The kids always decorate a gingerbread house while we do the chocolates.  This year mom bought the kits and they decorated trains.  The twins were excited about eating the candies and Hadassah and Morgan were getting frustrated that they wouldn't have enough to decorate with!  ALL the kids had a sugar over dose at mom's house!  Ridiculous!  The girls did a train and the boys did one.  They had fun!  Mom promised the kid's that if they help clean up the basement and all the toys, she would take them to 5Below.  My kids love this store!  We ate at Ruby Tuesdays and finally headed home.  Poor Ashlyn was so ready to be in her own crib!  She's teething and I can feel the tip of her first bottom tooth.  It felt good to just chill at home for the evening ... just me and my kiddos!

 These were our two helpers.  I would put peanut butter on a cracker and they would top it with another cracker.

... Gingerbread trains ...

The kids went to school Tuesday and they were excited about seeing their friends again after their long Thanksgiving break!  Ashlyn and Ginger went to Lena's house and I was off for a shopping day with my mom and sisters!  What a blast!  We went to Hershey because Mindy had a check up appointment for Shakia at Hershey Medical.  Shakia is getting well!  PTL!  We thought we would shop in Hershey but after Hobby Lobby, we decided to head home to our normal treading grounds!  The day of shopping without kids and having just some girlfriend time was great!!!  I picked up the kids at Lena's at 5 PM and I was again so glad to be home!  Mike was home at 6 PM and it was exciting to see him again.  Ashlyn nearly jumped out of my arms when she saw her daddy again!  So cute!  We spent the entire evening at home relaxing!  The kids read books and I tended to Ashlyn.  She's got a nasty cough and if you would ... say a prayer for her today!  She smells like a container of Unkers!

When we were shopping yesterday, I got a text from Mike. 

It read, "You are wonderful.  Spend some extra money on yourself today. It's on me."

What a loving husband!  It made me so grateful to have a man that loves me and cares about me!

I bought a new watch - $17!

Now for today, I have the day at home!!!  Relaxing in my pj's and hoping to hang up my Christmas wreaths!

I set up some Christmas decore the other day ...

 I saw these homemade snowflakes in a magazine and thought they were pretty. 

All you need is white pipe cleaners, clear beads, and string.  It takes only a few minutes to make them!

Have a great day and I hope your weekend was just as fun as mine was!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

PS - I am so loving all the Christmas music!!!  Love, love it!

Being thankful on Thanksgiving Day ...

Wow.  I was smiling this morning when I was reflecting on our day yesterday.  Action packed.  Thankful.  Grateful.  Eating roast and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and cooked celery and chocolate and pudding and on and on ...

Yesterday morning, Mike and I started out our day together going on a 3 mile run.  I did this once before and knew I could make the run, but when I had about 3/4 mile to go yet everything inside of me was saying, "Stop and just walk a little."  I did and Mike running right beside of me (he is such an inspiration in running.  He runs like a deer and could go and go and go ... well you get the point) said, "Come on.  Just take smaller steps and have fun."  Oh my word.  I can't believe I can say now that running has become a mind relaxer for me and I do miss it when I don't get it done in my day.  But, going those last few steps were tough.  My knee muscles were so sore but I started running again and finished not far behind Mike!!!  Yes!!!

We sat together on our step and both of us were sweating.  Mike was listening to a song on his iPhone that he liked and so we put it on speaker phone and listened to it together.  It was something about "the boys of summer" and we remembered back a few years ago when we were sitting on the Florida beach on a lifeguard bench and madly in love!!!  We still are madly in love!!!  We showered and got ready for our Thanksgiving dinner and I said to Mike, "I think one day we will say to each other.  Remember when we went jogging together and the kids were young?  Boy, those sure were the good old days!!!"  We live in the good old days right now!

We went to our King Thanksgiving Dinner hungry!  It was such a nice day and so after the meal the men and children played football outside.

Mike's grandparents ... "Daudy and Mommy King"

At 5 PM, we came home and relaxed a bit.  Dad Lapps were waiting for us to come over and play some more settlers!!!  (Yep, we do this a lot.  So much fun!)  Even though I would have loved to stay home and chill, we would never turn down a good settlers game!  I finally won!

At 10 PM, we came home again and I helped tuck baby and Matthew in bed.  Hadassah and I went out to Rockvale and Tanger and shopped till 3:30 AM!!!  I was proud at how well Hadassah did.  I don't know how many times before we went that I told her it's packed, there's tons of people, the lines are crazy long and there's lots of walking.  She had her mind set on going and she did great!

Back home ... this is Hadassah wearing her new red hat that we bought during the night and all our bags!

This was our find and deal of the night.  Justice has these cute pillows for only $7.16!

Hadassah loves, loves panda's and so of course we bought one and now it will be adding to her pillow collection on her bed.  I tease her that she has so many pillows that there's hardly any room for her in bed!

It's got a good message too!

For today now, my eyes are heavy from just having 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night.  I did laundry.  The kids helped me put my fall decor away and we set up some Christmas decorations.  Having our Thanksgiving dinners over, it now seems like the Christmas spirit has surfaced for me!  I am playing Christmas music all morning and made homemade waffles for the kids breakfast.  Come on Christmas!!!

I forget where I bought this shirt but I couldn't wait to wear it on Ashlyn!

I love it and she was my little Indian this morning!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

This morning we relaxed, slept in, and had a family meeting.  We've been saying for too long that we want to have a family meeting and write down some family goals and maybe come up with something like a 'family mission statement'.

Mike told Hadassah and Matthew to each write down 5 things that they would like for our family.  Some goals. Attitudes.  Whatever they want or would like to see in our family.

After about 10 minutes of them thinking together and writing down their thoughts they came up with this:

Hadassah wrote - 1.) Pray for each other. 2.) Be loving to each other. 3.) Do not fight. 4.) Listen on mom and dad. 5.) Never yell or be mean.

Matthew wrote - 1.) Help each other. 2.) Thank God everyday. 3.) Time to talk about about our family. 4.) Give a smile every day. 5.) Say good words to each other. 6.) Love mom and dad.

I will probably be posting more about this later.  Mike and I have our statements too and I need some time to combine these thoughts and make our final statement.

<<< Thanksgiving Parties >>>

This is how the kids walked out the door this morning.

Hadassah had this dress from last year and Matthew, well, we quickly cut one of Mike's old shirts. 

I frilled the sleeves and we put them over his pant legs.  We cut a piece off from the shirt waist and

frilled it for a belt!  He was happy with how it turned out!

Matthew made this Indian band at school and it was the perfect finishing touch to his outfit.

First grade made this neat craft during their party.

I was back and forth with first and fourth grade.  I helped a little in each class.

Here is Hadassah with her good friend Courtney.

"Indian Girls."

Even though these were not homemade, they looked great for the fourth grade dessert!

Thank you teachers for teaching our children about Christ, relationships,

and all the education they will need for life!  We are blessed!

8 MONTHS OLD ...

Ashlyn is 8 months old today.  She just starting pulling herself up!  She loves sitting beside her big block toy and grabs hold of the wire toys on top and lifts herself to a standing position.  Her favorite thing to do is watch the kittens outside the back door.  She leans tight against the glass doors and watches them run around on the back porch.  She loves playing with Ginger too.  She will crawl up to Ginger and grab the doggy toy.  Ginger will of course pull back and sometimes Ginger even pulls Ashlyn around on the carpet.  I know these two will be great friends! 

Ashlyn still has no teeth.  She's eating more foods like toast, rolls, Cheerios's, etc..  She can drink water from a sippy cup.  She loves her blanket and nuk for nap time!

She's becoming a mama baby.  When she sees me, she wants me.  (Makes me feel good!)

This is one of her many facial expressions this morning!!!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

I have a new phone!!!

A cell phone:  something you always take with you, communication, a way of talking to each other, my address book, texting, if you forget it you turn around and get it ....

These are some definitions that I have about my cell phone.  I have always just had the cheap phones and that really worked fine with me.  No Internet, no pics ... just a phone and texting.  Well, not any more!!!  We up grated to iPhone!!!  IPhone 4!  It's something new and I don't usually enjoy new electronics (got a new video camera too the other day and it still is setting on my counter waiting to be 'figured out'.)  However, I do like this upgrade and am really enjoying the newness of it!  It's fast.  It's fun.  It's useful!  Mike even said last night that if I want a "special ring", go for it!!!  You know by now that I am a seasonal person (which I've been wanting to add some Thanksgiving songs to my play list for this blog but I guess I will wait for Christmas songs!)  To me having a Christmas ring tone would be cool!  I just need to figure that out yet!!!

Our early Christmas gifts ...

I have a white phone and Mike has black ...

The kids were so excited!!!  Funny. 

They get so excited when we purchase something like this!

They think it's REALLY cool!

Hadassah holding my new phone!

I can't wait to get some pics on my phone and take some video clips!

Thanks Hun for the great gift!!!  Love you lots and lots!

THANKFULNESS!

An early Christmas with the Dienners

We had our first Christmas dinner yesterday.  It's too early for me to be thinking Christmas (even if it's only a few weeks away).  I want to enjoy our Thanksgiving holiday first and then let Christmas begin!!!

The Dienners usually always got together every single year on Christmas Eve.  It's usually hot ham sandwiches and oyster soup!  Lot's of desserts and chocolate coated crackers.  Mommy D's yummy chip dip.  Fruit.  A celebration that's always a good time! 

Well, this year it just seemed different because of it being so early.  Being not in the "Christmas spirit" yet, it was still a good gathering and fun.  This year we had a full cooked meal with ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, Uncle Alvin's rolls, Barbie's jello salad, Verna's chocolate cake and lots more.  The food was great and then we handed out some presents.  Hoss and Acquire were being played after all the clean up and chattering.

Thanks to Uncle Amos and Marty for rearranging this gathering!  Blessings!

These are my wonderful Dienner Aunts and Uncles ...

(and my mom and dad)

"ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE ..."

... Mommy and Daudy D ...

Mommy always gives EVERYONE a gift.

Hadassah was given a "leopard" purse!!!

Matthew got a new snow shovel!!!

These pictures are dear to me. 

I love my grandparents soooo much and this is Ashlyn's very first Christmas present ever! 

Given to her by her great grandparents!

(Everything goes in the mouth!)

She's lovin the attention!

She got a praying bear that quotes the "Lord's Prayer" and a book.

Lovin my baby!!!

I'm not sure what was so funny here?  I asked Mike to pose with his gift and he laughed!

Every year Daudy D's give all the married couples a big bologna and money!

Even though I am not yet "in the Christmas spirit", this was a fun time. 

What a blessing to have family gatherings and be able to eat and fellowship in love!

THANK YOU SO MUCH MOMMY AND DAUDY D

FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE DIENNER FAMILY!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

Another post on Shakia ...

It's a praise report!!!  Shakia is home already!  They started her treatment on Saturday night and she did great at the hospital yesterday.  They were told she will be able to come home 2 - 4 days after the first treatment, so coming home today was a huge plus!  Every thing the doctors tested for came back good.  She does need to be on oral meds (which is the treatment) for awhile to keep her birthmark from growing and needs a few check up appointments to make sure the meds are doing what they expect it to do, but she is doing much better!  PTL!  Thanks for your prayers.