Rainy Zoo Trip!

The Toledo Zoo Fieldtrip, a highlight and family favorite! It marks the end of another school year and the beginning of summer vacation!! The rain tried to spoil our day, but it didn't stop us from having a great time!! We just had to be creative!!

The carousal!! Another attempt to stay dry!! Plus the kids love it. Tanner was holding on pretty tight to mom, until he realized that he was having fun.

Our creative solution to the rain. Go to the car and eat lunch a little early. Maybe the rain will stop or slow down. You should of heard the cries of resistance to this idea. We had only been at the zoo for about 1 hour. Try to explain to 5 kids that we are just going to the van to eat lunch. We are not leaving, we are just having lunch a little early. They thought we were pulling a fast one. We finally convinced them!! We made it fun!

"Daddy, I can't see! Lift me up"

Only Daddy will do!

Trying to keep the kids still long enough for mom to take some pictures. Mom sometimes overdoes it with the pictures, but I love it!! Mom and dad look tired. Emma and Tanner were having so much fun in the wagon. I wanted to get in, but Dad said no!!

Memorial Day Race!

Memorial Day, race day, was beautiful!! I could not of asked for a better day. It makes it so much more enjoyable to run when the weather cooperates with you. The race began at 9:00am, so as you can imagine, I did not sleep well. I think I woke up 4 times in the night to check the time and if the alarm was properly turned on. (I know what you are thinking, crazy) After my hard work training, I was not about to oversleep and miss the race. I got up early, too early and tried to convince myself that a morning run would feel so good, much better than a night run. I was debating!! I arrived at my friend's house and her kids were so excited. They were running in the 1 mile Fun Run and they were ready. You could not help but be excited too. Kids are contagious!! We arrived at the race and the kids got their numbers while I made a mental note of where the restrooms were. Always a good idea!! We watched and cheered as the kids ran their race. It was so fun. I will need to get my kids ready to run next year. They would love it! A few moments later, after a potty break, we headed to the start of our race. As we were waiting to race, I started looking around, and all I could see were young, really young runners. "What did I get myself into, I am going to be in last place! Oh well, no turning back now!" During the race, I felt great! I was in good rhythm and I was enjoying the beautiful homes, I mean mansions that I was running past. WOW!! They were amazing!! During the last 2 miles, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure that there were still people behind me. "Good, I am not last!"
As I was coming down home stretch, I had friends cheering me on. It was great!! I ended up beating my time and running 49:48, under 50 minutes!! Yes!! I was happy! It is always good to beat your time! Lookin' forward to next year! Better start training for the next race.

Btw: shout out to my sister, Jess, who ran a half marathon on Memorial Day! She is amazing!! I am not quite ready, Jess, but I will get there. Maybe next year we can race together! Love ya!

What a week!

It has been one of those weeks! Every night of the week, we have plans and I feel like I am running in a million different directions. My house looks like a tornado has landed and when I have a spare minute to straighten up, all I want to do is sit, relax and take a breathe. Here is a sampling of my crazy, busy week ....

Monday: trying to get homeschool wrapped up for Hayden. I only have a few more days left of school. He will spend his last few days at school doing a variety of fun activities. One last test to study for - trying to finish this year strong! Steve has golf tonight, so mom is on her own getting the kids fed, clean and off to bed. A chore with 5 kids. ( FYI - I am glad that my husband gets to play golf once a week. He works so hard. He deserves it!)

Tuesday: Soccer games tonight! I will miss Kal's game again because Rylee's game is at the same time. Bummer!! But, Rylee did score her first goal! I was cheering like a proud momma! She flashed me a huge smile and gave me the thumbs up sign. So sad that Dad missed it. (He coaches Kal's team)

Wednesday: 11:30am take kids to Caesarland to meet Hayden's class. The kids had a blast, but mom was exhausted from watching the kids like a hawk. That place kind of creeps me out. Way too many outside doors where kids could be taken. Can we say "hand sanitizer" after an afternoon of fun. Peel the kids away from the fun and head to the store (yes, Target, what other store would I go to!) Off to pick up Kal from school. Back home so we could rest for a moment, get dinner and then head to church!

Thursday: All kids off to school or preschool, except Tanner. He hates these days. Mommy is not quite as fun as sisters and brothers. My cling on. I can't get anything done. He wants me right by his side. Workout was an adventure! He is now trying to lift weights with me. It is pretty cute! Lunchtime!! A friend brings Subway and we enjoy the beautiful day outside and talk. It was wonderful!! Soon, I put the kids to bed, and it was even more relaxing. After visiting for a while, my friend tells me she smells gas. Call DTE, to report possible gas leak. That was a fun conversation. I believe that I told her my address and name 5 times. Yikes!! The DTE man showed up and found a small leak with the dryer hook up. Fixed it and on his way! Oh good, no house fire today! After dinner, off to workout class at church. Tough! But great!

Friday: Playdate at the park with friends. The kids are lovin' this week. Nice visit with friends. Then off to Pizza Hut for lunch. I love this beautiful weather! Now, home kids in bed. I am going to try to get some stuff done and then relax. Tonight - date night!! At least that is the plan. I am so ready for date night. Let's hope it happens.

This weekend: prepare for my 8k race on Memorial Day, get flowers, plant flowers, and relax. Sort of, next project: getting ready for my garage sale! That is a lot of work!!!

Under Construction!!

Please excuse the mess, I am trying to be creative!! It is a challenge! I love, love, my new 3 column layout. It is nice to have so much more room! Many thanks to Becky my best bud who walked me through this process. Without her, I would be lost in computer codes and pulling my hair out. Thank you sweet friend!! You are the best! This computer stuff can be confusing, but I admit that I am learning more and more each day. Btw, Becky, I fixed that problem I was having with my computer screen. Yeah me!! My next project is getting a new header. If you have any suggestions, let me hear them. I want something simple, but pretty! Help a girl out!
I have an appointment with Jillian, so I must go. I am under construction too!

A conversation with a 5 year old...

My daughter Rylee woke me up this morning wanting to talk. This is how the conversation went ...

Rylee: Mom, mom get up! Dad says you have to get Kal ready for school. Come on!
Mom: ahhh, 2 more minutes!

Rylee: Mom, wake up. Why are you so tired? If you are tired, you should just lay back down.
Mom: that would be nice!

Rylee: Mom, guess what? We unlocked the punching bag game in the Wii. It is so fun! You punch like this (she is giving me a demo) left, right, left right. You do it a lot of times, very fast. Then, mom, you can win the game. I don't know who unlocked it. Oh, I know DAD unlocked it. Did Dad unlock it, mom? No, wait a minute, you unlocked it, right mom! Oh, probably it was Emma!
Mom: (totally confused, and half asleep) What? Take a breath, child! (I am listening to this as I am running around trying to get Kal ready for school, with my talking shadow!!)

Rylee: Mom, is soccer today? I love soccer! I love to play games. I want to play games everyday. How many games do we play. Is it today, mom! Mom, are we going to Landon's house today? I love Landon's house. It is so fun. I am going to show Landon my hair. I think he will laugh and think it is funny. (She has a ponytail that she slept in, hanging half in and half out of her hair. Really cute!) Mom, do I go to school today? Is this the day for school? Mom.. mom.
Mom: I walk away hoping to get Kal out the door before she is late for school.

Rylee: (seeing Emma) Oh Emma, you are gorgeous! I love you! (Big smile) (The best buds go off to play!)
Mom: Bless you, Emma! Now let's get breakfast on the table and get Kal out the door. I am so tired and that conversation has left me dazed and confused.


Rylee, I love your gift of gab. You are always making me laugh! I am sure that I was just like this as a child. Good thing we have a big family that you can share your gift with. I love you, sweet Rylee Girl!!!

My take on the Biggest Loser Finale!!

Three hours. Really!!! The "new" material in this finale could of fit into an hour time slot. I know that they must do the recap for us to remember what happen, but isn't that the point of watching the show. I already saw this stuff, I don't need to see it again! Good thing I recorded the 9:00pm to 10:00pm segment, I watched that portion in about 15 minutes. I love being able to fast forward the boring stuff. (In case you are wondering, I had to record it so that I could watch Fringe. If you don't watch Fringe you are missing out. It is my favorite show, behind Lost of course!)
Shout out to the old people!!! You guys rock!! Way to go! You made the young people look weak! I guess there is some hope for those of us who are getting older. Jerry looked amazing. I thought that guy was on his death bed and he lost 177 pounds. Wow!! He is inspiring!! I bet his grand kids are so proud of him. They will get to enjoy extra time with him because of his determination to succeed. How special is that. It makes me want to cry! Did you see the look on Bob and Jillian's face. They were shocked! How cool is that!
Helen (48) biggest loser!!! Awesome! She was playing it cool the whole time. Ron, I guess you were manipulating the wrong person. Bummer, dude! I have to say that I am a little jealous. She weighs 117 pounds. Not fair!! I want to be that small. (well, maybe not that small, but close) Did you catch that she talked about her trainers, not trainer, but trainers. What!! How many did she have? Who is paying for that? Maybe she could lend me one? She does live in Michigan. I try to tell myself that if I had trainers and 6 hours a day to devote to working out, I too could be that size!! I would be content with being 15 pounds lighter! Maybe this would only take 3 hours a day and one trainer. Something to think about! All joking aside, Helen, you look amazing. Great job! You inspire me to keep going! Enjoy the new you!

A Special Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you special mom's out there. I love being a mom. It is so rewarding! It has made me into the women that I am today. I have 5 beautiful children that love me and challenge me to be the best mom that I can be. They are a treasure and a blessing from above. Thank you Hayden, Kallie, Rylee, Emma, and Tanner for your sweet, loving hearts that inspire me each and everyday. I love being your mom!

My Mother's Day was wonderful. We went over to Grandma's house to eat and visit. The kids love going to Grandma and Papa's house! We had a wonderful meal and just got a chance to relax and spend time together as a family. We took the kids to the playground and they had a blast. At one point, I leaned over to Grandma and asked her, "how many kids do I have?" We both agreed that I had 6, because Steve (my husband) was running around the playground just like the kids. Playing chase with dad is the best. The kids were all laughing and trying to catch their breath at the same time. I love to hear them laugh and play. It makes me feel young!! When it started to rain, we went back to Grandma's house and played. What a perfect day! Thank you, Grandma for letting us come and spend the day with you.

Confessions of an amateur runner

Memorial Day. Race Day. It is how many days away? I am in trouble. Getting ready for this season of races has been a challenge. Every obstacle has been in the way: weather, sickness, crazy busy, etc. I told myself if I am going to be ready, then I need to focus. Friday night, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a run. The following is what was running through my head during the run ...

Ok, Steph! Let's get 3.6 miles in. No problem. You have been working out hard this week, you are ready.

Mile #1: Feeling pretty good. Good pace. Wow! My legs are sore from all those lunges and squats. Thanks a lot Jillian! A little farther down the track: Oh, no!! ladies from church. (I smile and say "Hi") Steph, you can't give up now. You will look like a wimp! Feeling good, time on first lap, good.

Mile #2: Hit a brick wall. What in the world! My legs feel like cement! Focus: put one leg in front of the other. Left. Right. Left. Right. I sound like a Dr. Seuss book. Don't think about the pain or your huffing and puffing. Listen to your music and enjoy the beautiful weather. Wow!! It is hot out here. Please God, send me a breeze. I am dying. I am not complaining, because the sunshine is nice. Oh, the ladies from church are coming up the track. Pick up your pace, shoulders back, and try to look like you are not going to pass out. Smile.

Mile #3: Do I really need to do this last mile and 1/2. Yes!! Quit your whining! Helen (biggest loser) is 48 and she ran a marathon. Suck it up. Get a grip. You are not going to die. My pace is slowing down. Remember to finish strong. Am I walking or running? I don't care what hurts, you are not quitting. What is up with this music. I need something to inspire me not lull me to sleep. Next song, no, next song. Ok, that is better. You are almost done. Now, sprint it out! Yikes, please tell me that I don't run like Phoebe from Friends. Just finish! Yes!! Catch your breath. Walk it out!

I wonder what real runners think about when they run? They probably don't think about what body parts are flopping all over the place, or why they are sucking wind. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

Oh, to be a kid again!!

Screams of delight filled our house yesterday when I announced to the kids that their friends were coming over to our house to play. They were very happy and asking me every few minutes if they were coming over now! Why did I tell them?
Tanner was thrilled when they walked through the door! He was a wild man and full of silliness! Here he is hugging a water bottle! I don't know why.



Rylee decided to challenge Landon to a game of Mario Kart. I believe that he was a little more focused then she was. There was some trash talk, which is hysterical coming from 5 year olds.

The whole gang coloring and making funny faces while mom takes pictures. So cute!

Feel the love!! Attacking Tanner (he loves it) and showing off the Oreo treat that they just enjoyed. Thanks for that Emma.

As you can see, the afternoon was a complete success. Thank you Landon and Elyssa for coming over and making this day special!

The down side to playing defense ... boredom!

On Tuesday night, Rylee learned that playing defense can be very dull. The ball only ventured over to her side a couple of times, so she soon got distracted by everything around her. She was playing with her fingers, watching her brothers and sisters play on the sideline, and even pulling grass on the field. Steve and I were trying to encourage her by telling her to be ready and watch for the ball. As you can see by the pictures, she was not convinced that she was going to see the ball anytime soon. At one point, a player from the other team got hurt and her coach told the kids to take a knee. Rylee was totally confused. "Now they want me to sit in the grass!" She did make contact with the ball a few times, but I know that next game she will be looking forward to playing offense!!

How sweet! I love this shot. I don't know what she is doing, but she is so cute!

She caught a glimpse of the camera. Might as well make the best of it. Get my good side!

By the way, thank you Mariah for taking these great pictures. My camera is still at war with me and I think that the camera is winning!!

Another one bites the dust ... swine flu?

I feel like a broken record ... yes, one of my kids is sick again with the stomach bug. I am getting ready to call Guinness, because we had to of broken some kind of record. Rylee (5) comes to our room yesterday morning and tells us that her tummy hurts. She rested, sort of, for 20 minutes then we made her rest on the couch. After the kids got out the door for school, I tended to the sickie. She kept telling me that she needed to throw up, but she would go to the bathroom and "fake" gag. I thought, well maybe it won't be too bad. She just needs to go potty and get some food in her stomach. Wrong!! Twenty minutes later, it started. Every 15 to 20 minutes, for the next several hours. Poor little thing. Her body was so tired. When she would get done, she would put both hands up in the air, as if to say, "STOP!" At one point she told me that she did not want to throw up any more. I told her that hopefully it would be over soon. Emma (3) and Tanner (2), not wanting to be left out of the action, kept coming in and asking what was going on and why was Ry throwing up, and when could Ry play. (They were bored) Finally around 1:30pm, I convinced her to try to rest and she fell asleep for 3 hours. She woke up happy and healthy. "My tummy feels better mom, I want to go outside and play!" What happened?? That was some powerful nap! Thank you, Jesus! My happy Rylee is back. She is happy because now she will not miss her soccer game tonight! If they are going to get sick, this is the way to do it.

Btw, day #2 in the workout and today, I only hurt when I have to use my legs or butt, which is all the time. Yeah me!!!

Getting those last few pounds off ... even if it kills me!

Why is it that no matter what I do, those last 10 pounds won't go away? I am convinced that my scale is broken and can't go below a certain weight. It is so frustrating!! I try to tell myself that I am working out and eating right, so who cares about the scale. But then my competitiveness kicks in and I refuse to let the scale win. So the other day, I am reading my friend Becky's blog, and she is talking about Jillian's 30 Day Shred DVD. Apparently, in 30 days my body will look like Jillian Michael's, I am in!! I know what you are thinking, "her body will never look like Jillian's!" You are correct. Having 5 kids in 7 years has killed that dream along with the fact that I can't spend 6 hours a day working out. (Well, that is just 2 reasons why I will never have that body. There are many, many more!) So today, Monday May 4th is day #1. I tell myself, I workout a lot, this will be no problem. Wrong!! I was huffing and puffing! What is going on? Oh no, my muscle are gone!!! I barely get through Level 1 and 2 and then crawl to the couch. "Good, day #1 is over, only 29 more days left!" I can do anything for 30 days, right? We will see. Good thing I am doing this with friends. We can be in pain together! Now that I have completely scared you, why don't you join us. It is probably not as bad as I have described. Just think, when the 30 days are up, it will be June, the beginning of summer and bathing suit shopping season will be here. Oh, goody! Maybe 30 days is not long enough?

Soccer season is upon us ... crazy but fun!!

Rylee's Game: 9:00am

Look how cute! The littlest girl on the team playin' goalie! Her choice! She was very proud of herself. I lost the other pics of her playin' due to the glitch with my camera. Mom was not happy! Oh well, I still got some ones!

Having some fun: Hayden and Tanner playin' hide and seek!

10:00am: Break between games, so trip to Tim Horton's for donuts and coffee. Mmmm!! So good! Warm coffee! I guess I need to get a workout in!!

Emma's Game: 10:45 am

Emma's first soccer game and she did great! She went after the ball and was loving it. We were so proud of her. Look at that form. She is a natural. Holding hands with her friends: priceless!

Kallie's game: 11:15am

Kal taking a breather. She doesn't stop very much. I jumped at the chance to snap a shot. She is so serious. It is game time!!

After the game, enjoying snack with BFF Juliane. You should of heard the screams when they found out they were on the same team. Pure joy!!

Soccer buds and best friends!!!

Strong personality ... yes, I would agree!

To say that our daughter Kallie (7) has a strong personality, is an understatement. She is strong and bold, she speaks her mind, she has passion, drive, and puts 110% into all that she does. She is funny and sarcastic, and full of life. She is beautiful and sweet! These are just some of the things that I love about her. All these traits help contribute to her firece competitiveness!! This girl won't let anything get in her way. As you can imagine, this sometimes gets her into trouble.

Ok, let's be honest, this gets her in trouble A LOT!! Let me give you an example ....

Steve comes home yesterday and tells me this story:

He in the fieldhouse doing some weight lifting with some of the students from school. Kal was with him, soaking up all she can learn from dad the best coach ever :) She wanted to lift weights with the kids and Steve told her no, the weights were too heavy and she could get hurt. Telling Kal that something is too hard or too heavy for her is painful for her to hear. She proceeds to explain to him why this just was not the case. You would think that by now she would have learned that you can't argue with dad, but she tries anyway. Once she realizes that this was not going to end well, she switches her attention to the girls in the gym. She goes on and on about how she is going to be a great b-ball player and that she has to be strong and fast. She is going to be way better than them when she gets older. (Her version of "trash talk")

My jaw drops and I tell me husband, "Please tell me that she did not say that!!" He responses with a smile. Oh, great!! Everyone is really going to love her. Steve said that the girls all thought it was funny, which I am sure only fanned the flame!! It seems that self confidence is not an area that we have to work on for her. Humility and tact will be our next hurdle!!

So Kallie, my sweet girl, I am so proud of you for all you do. Your heart and passion inspire me to be the best mom that I can be, but let us remember who gives us our talents and abilities. Jesus wants you to shine and your life to point to Him.

We are all a work in progress. Don't give up on us yet!!