Can You Save A Life??

I am not a doctor who can perform life saving surgery, I am not a scientist who can find cures, I am not an EMT who's quick actions at a accident make all the difference in the world, I am not a nurse who can heal wounds. I am just a mom, a normal person.......... but I may have saved a life yesterday..... I donated blood. It's a simple thing that most anyone can do, and it really does save lives.... 30 minutes out of your day is worth saving someone's mother, father, or child! Please consider it!

A Magical Christmas

Christmas morning Brian, the girls and I met my parents at Grandma O's new home in Elant in Newburgh. We dropped off a gift, said Merry Christmas to her and the girls showed off their new gifts they got. Then we hopped in the car and headed to CT to see Amy and John. I did not take any pics at Amy's - she takes care of that! Our best gift of the year was our big news we got - IT'S A GIRL!!!!!! I will have a niece!! (Brian is still holding out hope that the Dr's are wrong.)

Divot loved his new toy

Merry Christmas Fred - Keep Warm!

2009 was a wonderful Christmas!!! Kaelyn and Maddie each got their much desired Ipod Touch. Brian got Xbox 360, Jenna got a great new digital camera, BY got a Netflix year subscription and I got the most amazing, heartfelt, handmade with love coupon book.......

Teachers Really Do That??????

Maddie just came home, Proud as a Peacock, wearing her new scarf.... THAT HER TEACHER MADE HER!!!! Her teacher apparantly made one for every student!! Wow!

Snowman Diorama Project

Well.... Pine Bush School District seem to think parents don't have enough to do at this busy time of year - so Kaelyn came home with her latest project... "Make a diorama of a snowman looking into a window - what does he see". So off we go to our beloved dollar store and we actually had a really fun time putting it together. With help from Mom and Maddie - Kaelyn might just have the best in the class (if I do say so myself). The little Christmas tree even lights up! How cute! She even made stockings to hang from the fireplace. Real wallpaper is on the walls and even a cozy rug in front of the fire! OH and look at all the presents neatly wrapped under the tree!! The "window" slides in and out so Kaelyn can turn the tree on and off! Fun Fun Fun - too bad all the projects weren't like this!

Vermont Getaway!

This past weekend was our first trip to VT as a family. Amy and John go every year and this year they invited us to join them......

Morning 1 - no snow in sight - so much for our winter wonderland getaway and sleigh rides!
We took a nice drive Saturday morning to see what Brattleboro had in store for us - the answer was NOTHING! Other than a cheese factory... but we stopped along the road for a photo op.

Saturday turned into our winter wonderland - I think Brian saw 3 snowflakes drop and he said "can we go outside and play not" so we got suited up and headed outside!

You know how cold it is to get snow in the face?? - Kaelyn does!

We stayed in Saturday night due to the storm - Sunday was a lazy day of football and arts & crafts. Sunday night we went out candlestick bowling and to the arcade! Fun! BTW - 1 guess who won POP-A-SHOT?? That's right - Robyn Renee - Thank you very much!

Team Guadagno (John Won with a score of 82)

Maddie at Pop-A-Shot

Big Game Hunter - I didn't really play, I just posed for the pic!

We stopped at the store to pick up some more supplies for "SMORES INDOORS" as Kaelyn named it. Look at the size of the hershey bar B.Y. is holding then look at the same bar in Maddie's arms! FUNNY!

After Dropping off B.Y. an Jenna at home we stopped and picked out our Christmas Tree and of course posed for some more pics!

All in All - A fun trip, a nice weekend, a great family!!

So Big So Fast

So we got up this morning like every other day and got ready for school. Kaelyn comes out of her room dressed and my jaw dropped to the ground. She is officially a little lady - no more little girl. Look at the little diva in her skinny jeans, high black boots and of couse the scarf to tie it all together.
Then there is my Maddie, who Thank God, still WANTS to be my little girl!!!

Love them both, just wish they would stop growing!!!!

A Dress Paid For The Day!

So, Saturday was just a fun "What are we gonna do today?" kind of day. Brian and the girls and I set out in the morning... first stop - Denny's for Breakfast... $34 later, we left there and headed to New Windsor. I have been dying to go check out the Goodwill out there. We found a few little treasures, but nothing CRAZY, a little vase, some plates, a J. Crew dress, blah blah blah. After Goodwill ($20 or so later) we went to the Hoe Bowl in Walden to bowl a few games. First off - Brian and Maddie VS Mommy and Kaelyn. 1st round goes to M&B (we told her BM didn't sound so good). The bet was a 10 minute rub to the winners. Second game was Brian and Kaelyn VS Mommy and Maddie. 2nd round goes to M&M. SOOOO Maddie was the only one who won 2 games, so she is the only one to get a rub (which she hasn't cashed in on yet). $48 later we left the Hoe Bowl and headed home. Of course first thing I did was check out my purchases on Ebay. The vase and dishes were boring but the dress was a good find. Put a BUY IT NOW on it and within 15 hours it sold for $130 (paid $7).
So Thank You - J.CREW COLLECTION LIBRARY PRINT SILK DRESS SIZE 6. For a fun filled FREE day!

Happy Anniversary Mommy & Bri-Bri

My wonderful girls wanted to make sure they gave Brian and I our anniversary cards tonight, because they won't see us tomorrow night (date night for our anniversary).

Kaelyn's front Cover

Inside side 1

Inside side 2

Maddie - Front of card!

Inside - notice the "green" how cute is she? She wanted to know if it would be enough for our dinner?

YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE SWEET LITTLE GIRLS!!

Faker Faker!!

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of having Miss Ava Grace hang out with me!! I went and picked her up and she came to Maddie & Kaelyn's games with me and then we all went back to Jeanette's for Dinner.
I am a bit biased, but I have to say, she is so damn cute!!!! On the way home she played her "I'm tired, can I have my binky and take a nap" (she knows she is ONLY allowed to have the binky if she is going to sleep!! Well fakey fakey only lasted so long, before we knew it she was OUT!!

What is a Wigwam Anyway?

It's 4th grade project time!! This year Kaelyn had to make a model of an algonquin wigwam. What the hell is a wigwam?? I know teepee, but not wigwam! Well I am told it is the same idea as a teepee but not pointed and is often made of fur, leather and twigs. Below is our final project! Wigwam complete with firepit, garden and stream with fish! I fell an "A" coming on!

It's all about presentation - isn't that what they say? Well, how cute are these two little girls proudly holding the finished product!

Does Anyone ELSE see the Resemblance?

Sooo, the other day, the girls and I are driving around and we went past Maples Farm. They have a nice fall display out and this strangely familiar looking scarecrow! I half screamed at the girls "DOESN'T THAT LOOK LIKE GRANDPA?". This is my dad's usual work attire, khaki jacket, black glove and baseball type cap. The winter weather is upon us now, so dad has upgraded to the warmer clothing, but I just had to do a comparison shot for you all to enjoy!!

CRASH!!!! BIG HAPPENINGS IN THE BURG!

So.... last night we were sitting quietly on the couch watching the Yankees kick some Twins Butt!!! When all of the sudden.... CRASH! Brian we outside to see what it was, and there in the middle of the road was a huge branch off the tree in front of our house. Some passerby stopped to help Brian pull it out of the road ( I love strong men, well.. mine was strong at least!). The guy said it fell right in front of a car driving down the road! Scarey.. right?

CRITTER VISITOR

We had a little critter visitor at work yesterday... .he was about 4 or 5 inches long. Either he escaped his man eating mate OR it was a female!!!

Grandma Steele Breakfast

Breakfast is not the easiest meal in the Yearwood/Schloicka house. The girls get sick of cereal and I don't buy the processed sugar breakfasts like Pop-Tarts... Time slips away from us very quickly and I try to come up with things with some nutritional value that will interest Kaelyn & Maddie.

This morning was Grandma Steele's Famous Celery & Cream Cheese (except I had to cut the celery into little pieces instead of having them long with like 2 or 3 olives on each, because neither of the girls have all thier teeth to bite it with!! haha). We've got vegetables, dairy and i have no idea what category olives fall into. But we washed it all down with some pineapple juice.....

Is that normal? Cause they devoured it!!

Surprise!!! - Happy 50th Anniversary!!

Yesterday was Fred & Alice's Surprise 50th Anniversary Party! Thanks to The Wonderful planning between Brian and I, and his brother Bill and his wonderful wife Linda, we pulled it off perfectly!! They were truely surprised, and seemed to have a great time with all their friends and family!

Speaking of family - here I am with my two beautiful girls!

The Family that was created!! Fred and Alice with 3 of their boys... Bill, Brian and Fred

The Happy Couple

OK - so now it comes time for "The bride cuts the cake"... watch the progression in the pictures below....

All cleaned up and wearing the shirts Billy and Linda had made for them with their wedding picture on them.

Billy created a slide show with pics from their entire life together and it was great fun to watch.

Thanks to everyone for a great day and all you did to make the day special!!