Saying Goodbye to 2010

Kendall with he dollhouse, she loved the dollhouse and Fancy Nancy Princess bed from Santa

The boys love their new Nintendo DS's

The girls opening Christmas gifts
Wow! Where did the year go? Every year I find myself sitting wishing I had done more.... more one on one kid specific things, before I know it my little brood is all going to to way to busy to spend time with me. Here I sit again this year, we had a great time this year. I absolutely love homeschooling the kids, I get great joy in seeing them learn and grow. The boys are growing so fast, they are becoming such big kids.

Logan is working primarily on 5th grade work with the exception of Math. In Math he is ahead of the grade and works at the 6th grade level. I'm so proud of him, this Math mind did NOT come from me! He is just a smarty. Continuing with Piano and soccer, he also added baseball this year. Logan's asthma and allergies continue to be a problem but not as bad as in the past.

Taylor, also really blossomed this year, he was able to go a group ahead in his Sunday school class. His ability at the piano just amazes me, he truly has a gift with catching on. This year Taylor also got his first pair of glasses. He looks so cute in them. He even learned that he does like to read when he likes the topic... yay! Piano and soccer were on his list of activities and this year he also thinks that he would like to join in baseball.

Our little princess is just that... a little princess. She loves all things princess! She loves tutus, and "glass" slippers, babies are fun and she loves being a girl. She potty-trained in a week after being told that she couldn't go to dance class if she pottied in her pants... if only I had tried that earlier. She is a true performer and loves to sing. This little one wakes in the morning singing and given the chance to get on stage she loves to belt out a tune for a crowd. Love her enthusiasm! She even got a taste of skiing this winter, so far she is a great part of the group and loves it!

The big girls also had big years. Courtney was accepted and started into Radiology classes and hopes to have a degree in 1 1/2 years. I hope in my heart when the time comes she heads back towards home to carry out her career. I LOVE it when she gets to come home and spend a bit of time with us. Tiffany also had a big year passing the first part of the RN coursework and getting her LPN degree. She is loving driving her new car and is still working at Lowes. I hope she gets enrolled in school and can find a job that she loves.

We learned so much this year and life is sweeter and more precious if that is possible. We became acquainted with SMA this year, a horrible killer of children. We have changed how we live our everyday lives trying to make sure we make more people aware of this disease in an effort to raise funds to find a cure so no family has to say goodbye to their children because of SMA. Our little business more than doubled in sales and we have added a lot of extra items to the store. Our hopes for 2011 include continued growth and the ability to keep caught up....lol. I LOVE the work and passion that we have put towards the fight against SMA. The families we have come to know are precious and we would do anything for them.

Tim is moving along and changed stores this summer, he is closer to home and we like that a lot. He hasn't spent as much time working on his appraisal license this year. Hopefully we will tackle that next year. We didn't spend all our free time working on the house for the first year since we lived here. We are getting there, moving along and soon we will be able to finish off the garage giving us believe it or not more needed space.

I have great hopes and prayers for our friends and family in 2011. I have a huge hole in my heart in loosing my sweet Sushi. She truly was a one in a million. I could nap with her beside me in the chair with Max 2 ft away and know she wouldn't bother him. I could tell she knew how much I loved her........ the hole is the pits and one look down our road and the tears fall over the brim of my lids...... I miss her sooo much.

Have a wonderful 2011! I hope to make better use of my blog, I want to document the crazy insane life we lead. I

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I know, I know............. it's been a long time. A really long time... My life has been spinning, spinning on a small base. My homeschooling boys and Kendall keep me hopping and along with their big sisters I am truly blessed.... I mean big time flat out blessed. Then along came my awareness about SMA through our little hat business and well, life has not been the same since. I'm glad that it hasn't.... we spend time in our everyday life trying to bring awareness to this horrible genetic killer.....

But today, today I spent a great time with my kids. We got out the Santa given skis and gave them a spin. A great time was had by all and the day flew. We were having such a wonderful day, a day of laughter and smiles.

That is, it was until we topped the crest in the road by our house.... and in the brief second life once again changed.... the cogs in the wheels came to a screaming stop as I looked out and saw my 2 kittys laying in the road. DEAD...... I really hate dead.... These two were SO special to me, Casper a gorgeous long-haired black kitty had come such a long way. Traumatized by a neighbor dog when tiny, she had such a hard time trusting but she was coming along and even coming in to the edge of the sunroom. And then laying beside her in the road the most horrible shock of all. My sweet Sushi, although she was a "barn" cat she thought she was the queen. She spent most of our awake hours in a chair mostly with me sitting right beside her. A gorgeous cat she was one in a million. She never left the chair unless it was time to go out. She never minded the bird 1 1/2 ft from her. You see I think she was my angel, after Maggie died Sushi started to beg to come in and she sat right with me never trying to move around or be nosey. She was my companion when Maggie couldn't be..... my animals have been such important characters, especially after we lost Mackenzie. I could cry when I wanted and they never got tired of me talking about all things Mackenzie. I couldn't lay that burden on my family but my animals were always willing and eager to be a listening ear.

But why did they have to be taken?? I know this won't stop me in my tracks, I know this is probably part of some grand plan, (I don't think I like the plan very much at this moment). All I do know is that my chair is going to be lonely and not as warm as it was for the rest of the winter. My heart is broken and my heart just can't believe I will never see her again.

I know, I know.......... she is just a cat... they are both JUST cats. So try and tell my heart that one.