gotta love consignment stores!

Last week Alyssa, Scott and I were out shopping for new shoes for Scott. We found this fun consignment store called Kid Works. Scott got his new shoes and we also found these cute shoes for Alyssa. So funny that she absolutely loved the PINK sparkle shoes and then we found a darling dress to go with them. Everything was half price so we walked out with 4 pairs of shoes (two for Scott, two for Alyssa) a shirt and dress all for $25

The real link to the cakes

If you thought Alyssa's birthday cake was cute, check out the rest of their cakes. Here is the real website for their business:



http://www.panambicakes.blogspot.com/

Alyssa is 10

It is birthday time in the house once again. Alyssa turned 10 yesterday - that's 2 hands old. Not much compared to my 7 hands, 3 fingers but she is getting old none the less. We let her have a birthday party/sleepover with a group of friends on Friday. Seven 10-year-old girls in one house are more than enough. Here are a few pictures.

Girls, girls, girls.

Michelle's cake decorating skills have improved, haven't they?

Actually, we were supporting the local economy by buying this cake from a couple of women at church who are starting a business. Everything you see is edible. The cake itself was delicious. Click on the link Sugar Mammas on the right to see what other cakes they have created.

Alyssa loves jewelry. Thankfully, she doesn't care where they are purchased or how much it costs.

What?

What do you consider a productive week?

Is it when you get a bunch of laundry done? Is it when you actually do everything on your to-do list? Is it when you finally take the children swimming after they've been begging for a week? Is it when your room is clean and you can actually tell your children to clean their room because you have shown the example finally? Is it when you finish the book you are reading? Is it when you meet a goal you've been working on?

Sometimes I feel like life is going too fast and too crazy. Is it that I'm old now? How old is old? A horse is old at 20, A dog is old at 10, yet a fly is old at 2 days. My children are growing up way too fast. Alyssa will be 10 by the end of week and Caleb will be 16 in just 4 weeks. I remember holding their newborn bodies and hoping those moments would last forever.

Somedays I just need to go fast like today when Caleb, Daniel, Jared and Brenden were all fighting. They fought so bad today that everyone ended up in their rooms with doors shut so no one could talk to eachother. Now they are all sleeping and the house is quiet and peaceful so as I reflect on this day I ask myself, did I handle it well?

Somedays I like to sit and just enjoy and watch the children play. But watching is all I really like to do. Parenting not so much. It can be so hard and unrewarding. Where's the love? When do you feel like you've done a good job? When do you stop worrying? When do you stop crying?

Case of Missing Pillow Part 2

So this morning I wake up to the following e-mail:


Good morning Michelle,

I am sorry to get back to you today and not yesterday, but housekeeping informed me after I was told we had the pillow, there are no pillows with any flower patterns on the pillow case. We have 1 feather pillow in housekeeping with a blue pillow case. I do apologize for all of the miscommunications and I am very sorry for someone telling you we had your pillow when for some reason they do not. I do not know if they took off the flower pillow case and we actually do have your pillow. But again I am very sorry to inform you I did not send out a pillow. You can disregard the tracking number I gave you.

Since you received the wrong pillow the 1st time and you were charged, please email me your credit card bill with the FedEx bill and I will reverse that charge immediately for you.

Sorry Bob

Robert Owen
Reservations Supervisor
Wyndham O'Hare Hotel
6810 N. Mannheim Rd.
Rosemont, IL 60018
847-297-1234




Will someone please just tell Bob, I want my pillow back.


So frustrated

The case of the missing feather pillow.

It all started Saturday night at the Wyndham O'hare airport hotel. Two girls from Utah that Susan and I roomed with at our Pampered Chef conference called and said that their flight had been bumped and they were staying an extra night in Chicago and they were at the Wyndham hotel and would we want to join them?

So Susan and I thought it would be fun to stay yet another night in Chicago and this time for FREE!

When we arrived to their hotel I brought just an outfit inside along with my favorite pillow. This pillow is my small feather pillow that I've had at least as long as 25 years, maybe more. I always have to have it to sleep. It even has a name, "Squish"

On Sunday morning, bright and early we left for home. I left my pillow there at the hotel. I didn't realize this until it was much too late to return. I realized it when I was unpacking later in the day.

I called the hotel and they said they'd be happy to mail it to me by Fed Ex ground if I paid for it. So I proceeded to give them my financial information and got off the phone.

This morning a large box arrived. It was from Fed Ex. Inside was a pillow that was NOT mine.

Bummer. So I called the hotel again. This time I talked to Bob, who said he does have a pillow that matches the description and he will mail it to me, this time on his dime.


Hopefully in a few days I will finally have MY beloved pillow and be able to sleep again!!

Thanks Lindsey

Jason was googling some names in the family recently, when this came up.

I think it's cool and we didn't even know you did this Lindsey.


http://kcrg.com/soldier

Scroll down to find Army Capt. Hans Lokodi


What a neat thing, wish we would have heard it on TV when it aired, but since we don't watch the news much, that's how we missed it. So cool!

Our week in Iowa

I got a 30 minute phone call from Caleb last night. Philmont was a success. He had a great time but he said it was the hardest thing he has ever done in his life. I can't wait for him to come home and show us the pictures. I am so glad that he is safe.

Daniel has also been away on High Adventure this week. They went canoeing on the Upper Iowa River and went fishing. I will bet Dan is in 7th heaven. He comes home tonight and will be going straight into the shower.

On top of all of this, Michelle is in Chicago this weekend for a conference. It's just me and the crew. Unfortunately, Michelle made a couple of meals before she left (apparently she forgot that I am a pretty darn good chef). This means that I don't have an excuse to order pizza. Darn it!

Since Michelle is gone, I get (?) to sub her classes at the gym. This means that I taught Zumba this morning. It was a great class if only for the comic relief of watching a 38 year old man trying to shake it. It must have worked though, I almost got a marriage proposal on the spot (just kidding, Michelle).