Like I mentioned in a post before I got my creative side from my mother. She was always doing crafts. So as all of you know I made Kylie's costume this year. She won most creative at her school costume contest but tonight we went before hundreds of kids. She won Most Original in her age group and then she won BEST IN SHOW as well. It was nice walking around down in the district hearing all the wonderful comments on her costume. She even had strangers ask if they could take their picture with them and then the ultimate comment was made by someone I didn't know. From a distant I heard "Hey there is Waeyaert's granddaughter" For years I was always refered to as "Jerry's daughter" and Dad and I laugh about it now. So now it is Kylie's turn. Below are some pictures of her tonight getting her two awards and her BAGS of prizes. She had fun. Her friend Makayla and our neighbor won too in her age group as Most Original as she was a s'more. We sure did have fun together tonight.









Kylie holding her 2 ribbons and Daddy trying to hold up
all her prizes!!





















Kylie standing next to the RI Fire Truck
HI PAPA

Random Augie students who wanted

to take their picture with Kylie.

There were 3 camera's pointed at them!!

My final day of being 30 Something!!

One of the people who have been following and actually the only one making comments on my blog wanted me to do the hardest thing for me and wanted me to get a Tattoo. So on my last day of being 30 Something I ventured down to the newest TATTOO parlor in the district of Rock Island. Very nice and clean and I was greated by a nice guy who had them everywhere. So Holly I got my tattoo today as you asked.....HOWEVER, I didn't get the real thing...I know you will and are disappointed but this one is really cool and glows in the dark. I will probably get scared of it tonight in my sleep. Maybe when I turn 50 I will attempt the needle. Thanks Holly for being such a grand new friend.

My Mom's Turn!!

My mom was struggling with what she wanted me to do. She claims she couldn't think of anything. My mom the creative one couldn't think of anything??? How could that be? So this week a letter arrived via snail mail. It said that she was enclosing a check for $40.00 a dollar for every year of my life and my challenge was to cash the check and spend every penny on me. Couldn't buy anything for Kylie, Ron or for the household. It had to spent on me. Believe it or not this is difficult for me to do. In fact, I held on to the check for 4 days just thinking of what to do with it. I normally don't purchase things for myself. I can do with what I have. So yesterday I went to a store I enjoy and bought myself a couple of tops to wear. I had a coupon that if I spent $25.00 I could save $15.00. So I spent 28.00 and had another 25% off coupon and my total was only $10.40. Both tops were on deep discount. So again I couldn't even spend my $40.00 and have a remaining $30.00 to handle my challenge. I know a few of you are laughing at me...but I am not a shopper for myself. I called my mom to report my outing and she went through a bevy of different things...do you need socks, underwear...typical mom to be asking if I need any of those basics. So Mom thanks for thinking of me. I will attempt to spend the remaining $30.00 before Friday. I have always enjoyed shopping with mom, we do the garage sales, Target and the Mall together. Only fitting that her challenge has me shopping. THANKS MOM!!

PS My Dad will be going in for surgery on my 40th Birthday Friday. He fell and hurt his knee again. Although I know he will be fine it still makes a person a bit uneasy to have their family member in surgery for anything. Please keep in your thoughts on Friday.

Kylie wins most Creative!!

Kylie had her annual fall festival at school tonight. She and I have been busy working on her costume all week long. We asked friends to save Toilet Paper rolls for us to help. She enjoys looking on the computer to find an original costume she found a good one this year. I finished it up this afternoon and she went to her Spookin Fun Night she won her age division as the most creative costume. I am including pictures of her, some of the winners and a picture of her dad dressed up...can you guess what he is?? I hope all of you have fun this holiday season...it is our first time dressing up as a family...I might add that it has been very fun so far.

I sometimes forward on those quizzes that let you get to know someone better. I figured since I have this means of communication with all of you I would do this one I have never saw before here. Lisa Kerchner sent it to me and it is an original one.

My grandpa once: If you can answe this question you are one up on me. I never had a grandpa in my life. Both of them had passed before I was born.

Never in my life have I: smoked a cigarette. Can't stand them and my parents did it way too long. I am so glad the state of Illinois is smoke free in public places.

When I was younger, I: was fortunate enough to go on some great family vacations. Something that I appreciate now more than I probably did then.

High school was: 4 years of fun and friends...I did a little learning too.

When I'm nervous: I speak fast

The last time I really cried was: Friday night at my friends Dad's visitation

If I were to get married right now: I would marry the same person I am married to right now but I would make sure we took a honeymoon. Something we haven't done and it will be 10 years this coming April.

My hair is: cut by my friend Sarah at her Salon DaVarah in Moline.

When I was 5: I was in first grade. I started school being only 4.

Last Christmas: Awesome spent it with Mom and Dad being home and them being told they were going to be new grandparents.

When I turn my head left: I see outside a window and see my neighbors The Padavich's

When I turn my head right: I see the only tree in my backyard that survived our summer storm.

My life is not complete without: My Family and friends

By this time next year: I hope to be a smaller person

I have a hard time understanding: Why some people don't get involved in their childs school or in the community in which they live. I also do not understand parents who get their children to school late almost everyday and will make up excuses not to take school seriously.

Take my advice: Turn the TV for the next few days before the election. If you haven't educated yourself yet on who you will vote for the next few days are not going to matter.

My ideal breakfast is: a bagel and Orange juice while reading the paper.

My friends are: a major part of my life, people I depend on, turn to and enjoy being around.

If you spend the night at my house: You wouldn't get much sleep. Up late and Up early.

The world could do without: Violance

The most recent thing I've bought myself is: 2 shirts in Chicago

I shouldn't have been: naive about certian things in my life.

Once, at a bar/club: I had to leave to take my friend Andy to the hospital after someone blind sided him.

Last night: I spent some time at a visitation, took snacks to their house afterwards and came home to eat dinner with my family. Not my ideal night.

If I didn't have any obligations tomorrow: Clean, take a bath and do whatever I wanted.

In the last 6 months: I became an Aunt, took a back seat in some of my involvement and enjoyed my daughter.

If I ever go back to school: I would get my teaching certificate I am so close now.

I bet you didn't know: That while I was in 6th grade I saved the lives of some children while being a cross walk guard

I am: a happy person.

I read: The newspapers daily, facebook profiles, emails and magazines. I also read with my daughter who by the way is more advance than me.

Every birthday: I take my daughter trick or treating and put my birthday on the back burner for her to have a good time.

I regret: Not finishing college and quitting swimming

Friends!!

I have spoke a lot about my relationship with my friends over the years. You depend so much on them while growing up. I have been lucky to retain a lot of my friends from high school and even a few from elementary school. Many of who are reading, or at least I am hoping are reading this blog. I have helped connect friends back together through my reunion updates as well. However, recently I have logged on to facebook and have found so many people who I haven't seen or have spoken with in 20+ years. They are able to put up pictures of themselves and family members. It has been so exciting to wake up in the morning to see what new news I can find out. Who has posted pictures while I have been sleeping. My farthest friend is in Sweden and my closest friend is across the street from me but now together via facebook. Some are newly joined and are addicted. It sure has been fun seeing friends. Check it out and join...then invite me to be your friend.

Ron and I were watching Intervention the other night. It was a special. They were interviewing the director of investigations for Pinellas-Pasco County Medical Examiner's Office who was looking at a box full of percription drugs. The name flashed on the screen as William Pellan. I told Ron to back up the DVR as it looked like one of my friends from Elementary School named Billy Pellan. Ron laughed and said you even know someone on a show called Intervention. So I looked him up on the internet, found his email and said I was hoping he was the same Bill Pellan from Rock Island. Here was his reply:

Hello Lisa,

Yes, same Bill Pellan. How about that, 5 seconds of video and I get recognized by someone from my home town!!

William A. Pellan
Director of Investigations
District Six Medical Examiner Office
Serving Pasco & Pinellas Counties
www.co.pinellas.fl.us/forensics
(727) 582-6800

We have been busy trading emails for a few days. Any of you Denkmann Alumni out there remember him too?? He lived only a few blocks from me and we played together often. I called him Billy back then but like my brother he has adopted his more formal name later in life. Yep NO MORE B.J. it is now Brian!!! Unless you ask the Boyd Kids or the Brown Kids they all call him B.J.

It is funny how when life takes us a different path that we find our circle of friends change. It is part of life. I do miss a lot of my friendships that are no longer in my life like they used to be. I was one of those people who had more friends who were of the male gender than female. 2 of my closest friends during and after high school were guys. Both of them got married and have a family of their own. I am glad we can still be in contact via emails or running into them, and sometimes a phone call here and there. I miss both of them. Again I have surrounded myself with people with all different talents, backgrounds and personalities and I am proud to call them all friends. So this weekend find a friend and do something fun with him or her and spend some time together. We all need friends.

Kylie gives Back!

We go through life trying not to end up like our parents. As hard as we might try we end up doing something or saying something that we have heard in our past. For instance my mother was the PTA president at Denkmann when Brian and I were there. She was a room mom and volunteered her time in so many different aspects of our lives. I am walking the same path. Now my daughter came to me a few weeks ago and I am finding she too has a big heart to give back of herself. She is the Secretary of Denkmann's Student Council and she is taking it very seriously too. They are currently accepting donations of can goods and or money to purchase food for the upcoming Student Food Drive to fill our local food pantry. So she chose to go this year as a non perishable food item and instead of trick or treating for candy she is going door to door to ask for a non perishable food items, and can goods. She is so excited to see if neighbors participate. So if you are reading this and live near 28th Avenue have a few spare cans near your door next Friday night. If you want to contibute to her efforts give me a call and we will stop by and pick them up!! You will have to wait to see her costume. Thanks for all the Toliet Paper rolls.....her costume and me thank you!!!

Busy Few Days!!

Wow I didn't realize after returning back to work this week how little time I have for anything when I am running here and there. Has anyone really missed not reading my blog? I don't think so. So it was back to school and back to work week here. No more taking lazy mornings to get ready to do fun things with Kylie. It is up and back on schedule. I sure do love Kylie's fall break.

So it is official I am giving up on one of my tasks. I am not programmed to learn or master the art of juggling. I have tried it all, the tricks with starting with kleenex to get it down and moving up to small balls. Just not working. Alli it was a good run but I am sorry to report I failed you. My boss Rod said he had a fool proof solution...but I guess I am the fool. I simply can't get it. I will keep trying but darn it isn't easy. Anyone else have ideas?

Well most of the month has blown by already. I have only 8 more days until the big 40. My friend who turned 40 last week lost his father this week. I am not prepared to begin losing our parents. I am very lucky to have healthy parents right now and I hope they continue to take of themselves. Makes me appreciate them so much more. Kylie is friends with my friend's son and they actually had a conversation in my back seat about death. I think both of them understand the concept now and Kylie cried a bit. She wanted me to reassure her that Grandma and Grandpa are okay and that she will see them again soon. My brother and I only had the opportunity to have one grandmother throughout our lives. My father's parents and my mother's dad had passed before either of us were born. My grandmother turns 98 in a few weeks. Brian and I discussed our memories of Grandma the other day. We sure did cherish the time we spent with her and those are etched in our minds. I hope my parents and Kylie will make all those memories together too.

So with 8 days to go and finding it hard to get some of the "adventures" done I do need some fun simple ones to complete my journey. If you have one let me know. I can't afford the hot air balloon ride that a lot of you mentioned, and I don't have time to run back up to Chicago. So please think of something locally and I do enjoy sharing my adventure with Kylie so make it fun. Thanks again for coming along on this journey with me. It has been so much fun.

Halloween Costume Design begins!!

I try to make Kylie's Halloween costume every year. I am proud to say she has NEVER worn a costume that was bought except her first Halloween when she was in a jumper. Kylie and I spent this weekend looking for a creative new Halloween costume for her to wear and for me to make. This coming Saturday night is her Spookin Fun Night at school. The past 3 years she has won a prize. She isn't about that this year she just wants to be funny and unique. So all day today I have been busy constructing her 2008 edition of Halloween. We need a little help. If you are reading this blog I would ask that you help me save toliet paper rolls as I need about 50 of them and so far I have only 10. Please simply call me and I will come get them. So today was spent working in the morning and then I began working on her costume. I hope all of you are looking forward to dressing up this year. Ron and I are dressing up for the first time together. I think this is the year to do it. My birthday is usually spent trick or treating with Kylie these past 10 years so we are having fun this year. My 40th falls on a Friday. We will be having our annual hot dog roast and bon fire here at the house and trick or treating all together. It should be fun.I am including a few of her past costumes below. Aren't they fun??

Kylie won Funniest Costume in 2006

Kylie 2007 Most Original Costume

Our good friends

Alli & Dan

Haskill.

The Making of a pumpkin....all by hand

So when I set out to do this whole daily adventure or trying something new thing I got an email from Beth Ducey wanting me to learn how to make Stain Glass window ornaments. Let me preface this by saying that Beth is the most artistic and talented people I know. She is a master designer of trees at the Festival of Trees and she is the one who got us to do our own tree for Denkmann and gave us all the tips. So we arranged to meet today to learn the skill of stain glass. She thought me making a pumpkin would be appropriate. I agreed. At 1pm she brought all her supplies to my house and I learned how to cut, break glass and create something. Believe me I would have never had the vision she had to make this work. Below are pictures from my afternoon. Thank you Beth for stepping up and giving me a task that I would have NEVER tried any other time. Your friendship, although new, has been rewarding.
My finished product

The Beginning with justGlass

A return to where it all started!!

HOOTER'S !!

This is where our story begins. Ron and I met at Hooter's in Orland Park IL. on January 24, 1998. It has been almost 11 years ago. So tonight Ron planned a night out and took Kylie and I back to Hooter's this time in Davenport for dinner. It was Kylie's first trip there...like she needed to be there any time before now. She tried her first Hooter wing and she loved it. We were seated and guess what our table number was....40!! How ironic right....I thought so. Only fitting that during my 40th adventure I return to the restaurant that brought us together to be seated at the table number 40. We had a good laugh. Finished Dinner and went outside. My daughter who reads EVERYTHING she can read in sight began to read the marquee. Here is how it read "The rooster always gets the better piece of chicken" She laughed at it but didn't really get it. I was praying she wasn't going to ask for me to explain it. Ron and I got a good laugh though.

I have a great husband. He is thoughtful and very loving to both Kylie and I. He is quiet to most people until you get to know him. As you can expect when Ron and I met I carried the conversation. I can be known to be a talker.....are you laughing yet? So I do believe the only reason we even began our relationship was that I was loving the College Basketball on the screen and was talking his ear off at Hooter's.
We came home and I got online and my brother was online and he must have had his camera out today as he spent it with Jeannie and Bryce. He sent me some really good pictures of my nephew and I thought you might enjoy a good laugh and smile by looking at them. Once again you can not look at these pictures and not smile. He brings pure joy to my life. My only regret is that he lives so far from me. It is my job to make sure he knows Aunt Lisa as much as he knows his Aunts who live up there by him. I want to be a part of his life too. Enjoy these pictures and I hope they made you smile. Tomorrow I am learning a new skill.....to be continued.

LOOK AT ME I FOUND MY FEET!!

I AM A HAPPY BABY!!

AM I CUTE OR WHAT??

DADDY AND SON!!

SNAKE ........Are you serious????

If you know me you know one of my biggest fears are those of SNAKES!! I don't like them, don't enjoy looking at them and don't enjoy being near one at all. I do not visit the reptile house at the zoo. I simply pass and Kylie and Ron venture inside. So a few years ago Adam Brown got a snake and brought it downstairs not knowing my fear, to say that I threw a fit would be an understatement. So his challege to me was to hold his snake. We have missed each other in this atempt to do so but I figured if this was going to be a true month long adventure that I would have to overcome this great fear and hold a snake. While at the Gurnee Mills mall we were eating at Rainforest Cafe when the girls noticed across the mall this lady holding a snake at the Serpent Safari America's finest Reptile Zoo. I thought this was as good as ever to take the time to hold the snake and take a picture. In order to do so I had to pay the $7.95 for them to take the picture then my friend Jill could take a picture with my camera to catch the moment to share. I used breathing techniques to lower my anxiety and as they reached for the snake out of her cage I started crying. The tears just began and I had to calm down. I sat down and had to bow my head for her to place it around my neck. I was worried about this 6ft python's head. She said it was necessary for me to hold it out....all I thought was "Are you kidding me??" It was cold and nothing like I thought it would be to touch. I was a mess. The zoo attendant and Jill took a few pictures and I begged to have it removed from my neck. It all happened within seconds but it felt like forever. Adam I DID IT!! Although not graceful, and the pictures are horrible, I do feel good about somewhat getting over it. Do not expect me to allow Kylie to get one for a pet and you will still not see me in the reptile house at the zoo. There is something to be said about overcoming a fear.

Below are the photos Jill took. I tried to smile but these faces are so true to my feelings. Jill was crying because she was laughing so hard from me breaking down. She said she had never seen me act that way. GREAT!! Notice my right hand not holding the snake...I did as little as possible to touch it. I hope these pictures made you laugh a bit...I wasn't laughing.

A Few Days Away!!

Kylie is on Fall Break from school and I took 2 weeks off..well not really I have been working but in partial days to keep on top of things. I love this time of the year, cool crisp weather, changing tree colors..simply beautiful. Kylie and I escaped a few days with Jill Simmer and her 3 girls. My boss (her husband) is up in Canada hunting for 10 days so this was our time. We went to the newly opened Key Lime Cove Resort in Gurnee. We had a very nice time and the place was amazing. Since we went during the week there was hardly any traffice because everyone was in school. Many schools have not adopted the year round schedule yet. So they were filming their promotional commercial and our girls were asked to be filmed for the commercial as the Giant Pinapple bucket splashed gallons of water on them. They had to take about 10 takes and take up a few moments of their free time. We signed releases to allow them to be filmed and POOF they may now be featured on their commerical. The girls loved following the director. So my challenge during our stay was to relax, enjoy the pure joy of watching Kylie spend 7 hours having the time of her life in the waterpark, to go down a few slides, enjoy the friendship of Jill and to get away. All were accomplished. I went down a few slides, took many trips on the lazy river, sat poolside and imagined myself on a sunny beach in Florida, and laughed so hard with Jill that I nearly had an accident and had to run for the bathroom. Kathie Bekel asked me to take time for myself during my journey to 40! In all ways this little getaway was for myself. I had no computer, cell phone on but really wasn't near it at all to answer and it although it included 5 other people..I was able to relax. Below are some pictures of our stay at Key Lime Cove Resort. If you havne't heard about it look it up. Great place to head out on your own adventure, across the street from Great America, and close to a lot of good shopping...that will be in my next blog!!
The Hurricane Vortex Waterslide. Kylie's favorite plus doesn't it look like it is red and gold for RIHS??

Okay sorry about this being turned but this is Jill coming down one of the slides. She couldn't stay seated and this was the result of her nearly drowning and me running to the bathroom from laughed. Seriously it was sooooooo funny.

Kylie +Water= Many hours of fun. Had to close the place down in order to get her out of the water.

Jill and I taking some ME time in the hot tub.

Resort Room $149.00

Dinner $35.00

Spending time playing like a Kid before 40=

PRICELESS

Yep she is my inspiration, my heart!!

Kylie thought these were the neatest thing
ever. She asked me what the price of gas was
when I was her age.....I told her about 60 cents
She wanted to know if it will ever be that cheap again? Oh we can only hope Kylie.









Lazy river with Kylie...what a great time



















Can you tell she had a great time look at that smile.










If I could rent my boss Rod for $3.00 I would
he would be handy around the house...LOL





Kylie played deal or no deal video game to win tickets. She is a gambler and played it to the end and her case had the ultimate 100 tickets...LOL















Jill Simmer- What a bonus to go to work for someone I have known all my life but to develop an awesome friendship with his entire family. You are my bonus to working for Rod. You are a wonderful mother who will do anything for her children who has had a difficult year but who has come through stronger and better because of it. You know I am there for you if you EVER need anything. Keep smiling and laughing and instilling in your children only the best morals and values. You will always be a forever friend.

A LOVE NOTE!!

My friend Belinda Hull asked me to write a love note to Ron in Spanish. Belinda is bilinguel and is our building supervisor at Kylie's school. She has been very helpful this year with many of our students who do not speak english or who has english in their home as a second language. So only fitting that she put me to the test to look up words and pen them to Spanish...actually I cheated. There is a wonderful tool that my cousin told me about on google that you can write anything in english and have it translated to the language of choice. I am normally doing it to French. Ron has received this letter tonight and has been asked to find the meaning of the letter and directions to call Belinda for help. We will see how he does.

So why after we marry "THE ONE" do we stop sending love notes to them??? I was spoiled while we were dating and he would send me letters, cards or leave me love notes all over our apartment. We now have Kylie and busy lives and we drop those little touches that made us feel all good inside. But why? Why do we tend to stop doing things that make us feel good and connected to one another? I am a saver of notes. In fact if you are reading this and were friends with me in high school I can bet I have a letter or hall passed note that you gave me in my "BOX" of things. I saved them all thinking those words wrote back in the 80's were going to be words of wisdom in my later years. They might not be words of wisdom but they sure can bring a smile to my face now. In the computer age of things we often don't send hand written anything anymore through snail mail. I am a big believer in THANK YOU cards and I pride myself on thinking I do a good job at sending small tokens of appreciation from the heart through the mail that makes us all happy to open with a letter opener and not a press of a key. I even just recently started to attend a card making class that meets once a month and for a little money I can make 10 handmade cards that are unique and from my own two hands. If any of you want to go and make your own cards in November or December email me and we can all go together. So tomorrow morning leave a little something for your significant other either on the counter, in their handbag or on their desk for them to find at a later time. If anything they will take a brief moment of time to think about you and you will bring a smile to their face.

Speaking of words of wisdom my friend Holly Sparkman thought of me today when she read some words of wisdom from Jim Andrews and she forwarded it on to me because it made her think of me and what I am doing. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb... That's where all the fruit is!!! Life is an experiment... I heard someone say “ If an experiment becomes very successful, something has gone terribly wrong” (Don't be afraid to take risks!!)

Belinda- Thanks for my task for the day. You are an amazing mother, friend and teacher for our students at Denkmann. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and having your girls babysit my daughter. Keep smiling and laughing.

Linda Brown this is for you!!

Linda thanks for playing the role of my big sis throughout my life. You are an amazing friend, mother, wife and daughter. You open your home to my family and that is priceless to me. I have now done your request and have limited my blog to only a few lines.....are you happy now?

A Whole Lot of Nothing!!

The past few days seem to be blurr to me. Saturday we were making an emergency run at 12:02 in the morning to the ER with Kylie. She is fine but at the time when they give you the "I am hurting really bad stage" you seem to switch to auto pilot. I do not handle her not feeling well very good. Ron is my rock in this situation. Kylie began to complain her chest hurt at around 9pm, went to bed and woke up at 11:44 crying and really in pain. I said that was it we were heading to the ER. We arrived and a suddenly a loud, huge burp erupted from this little girl....that was it the pain was gone. She had some sort of indigestion but none the less you think about all the 100's of things that could be wrong with her. I didn't sleep much that night, waiting to see if she was going to get up again. Sunday I spent doing a little laundry and all those things you try to do on weekends that elude you during the week. So I am slacking in the adventure arena. My friends Chris and Tina have asked me to take 10 minutes a day and read the bible. I have been doing that. My second mom Maggie asked me to make sure all beds are made daily, I have done that, and then someone who has made his bid to run for Mayor this year asked me to meet 25 new people and smile daily. Today David Levin introduced me to 1/2 of the 25 new people he wanted me to meet. So although one task isn't standing out over all of them daily I am fulfilling some of my obligations my friends have put out there. I am still needing a few more rather risky events to happen so if you have something email me your suggestion. It isn't too late. I am looking forward to Friday night Football in the QCA where Rocky will go up against our rivals Moline. I will be heading to Riverside Resort with my friend sometime this week and hopefully will be taking Kylie out of town to do some fun girly stuff. Gas prices finally broke a bit and it is a more managable. I hope you all have had a good weekend as well and I look forward to more fun this month. I am doing Yoga soon and learning how to juggle in the coming weeks.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FAMILY

It's all about family!! I don't have a big family by any means. Sometime's I consider my friends my extended family. This year my family has become closer than it ever has in the past. I do believe after the birth of my nephew it made us all look at our relationship and say "We all need one another" I grew up with a handful of my cousins. We were closer to The Boyd family than anyone on either side of my parents family. When they lived in Moline we had Easter and many holidays over at their home. I can remember it very clear. My cousins are all older than my brother and I but that never stopped them from sharing in their fun with us. My Aunt Elle and Uncle Bob moved their family to Naples Florida when Brian and I were still fairly young, so after the move we were back to being 4 along with my grandma Jordan and Aunt Tootie. Our holidays were shared with them. We still have remained close to Becki, Scott, Bret and Lori throughout the years and I am thankful for the relationship we do have with them still today, but it has been extra special for the 4 of us becoming closer this year.

Today My brother and his family made the trip down to the QCA to say goodbye to my parents as they head to Arizona for 6 months. It was Bryce's first trip to his father's hometown. Of course their first stop was Happy Joe's. I invited friends to come out and meet Bryce at the Milan Happy Joe's and we had a good afternoon and then headed back to my parent's at Hidden Lake.

Brian and I have always had a good relationship but I have never respected him more than I do today. After he became a father 4 months ago he has let his softer side show. I love watching him as he holds his son. I enjoy that he is having fun in his life with both his wife and son and I know it has only begun for him. He has many planes and star war toys to share with him in upcoming years. Even though someday Bryce will know that his Aunt Lisa can still take down his father and he will have to call for his mom to save him. After all Brian is mom's favorite. Just look at the next picture as she leans on his shoulder.

<----Isn't that the best?? Brian and I were lucky we had great parents, a great childhood and in the end they taught us some great life skills. Although at times then and now we don't see eye to eye we will always respect them and will forever be grateful for their wisdom they passed down to us. I am sure Brian agrees that we hope we can raise our children the same way, with hopes of being able to give them more.

Aunt Lisa is loving the newest WAEYAERT to join our family!!

So I guess my challenge today was to simply ENJOY!! Enjoy my family who in a few days will be miles away from one another and with spring will reunite again. Everyone will change by then. Bryce will be nearly a year old and will have changed the most. I hope my brother breaks out the camera and keeps my parents updated on his growth. I will have the pleasure of seeing him more often. After all in the past week I have seen him twice and they live 150 miles away. We are all getting older and that means our parents are as well. Some of my friends have already lost their parents. So please take the time after reading this blog today and connect with your family members. Say HI if you haven't in a long time. Send a email, card or make that phone call to let them know you are thinking of them. After all we are only given one family and we should cherish it.




These are the people who made me an Aunt--->

I SAID NO!!!

NO!!Usually when someone asks me to chair a position, run for office, volunteer my time at school or with the Junior Board of Rock Island the first words out of my mouth is sure I will try it.....well I was told to say NO to a task and I did it!! I wiped my hands of the next event at Denkmann School. I will not be working, chairing or volunteering for our Spookin' Fun Night on October 25th. I will not be setting up, I will not be directing or scheduling volunteers to help...simply put I said NO!! My good friend Maria Taber told me I need to say No to a task or request and enjoy something for once. So during this event I will be enjoying it with Kylie. I will direct any questions to the Chair people of this event and I refrain from helping out in anyway..except I did volunteer to donate a bake good already. Does this count?

A few weeks ago there was a week in September that I had a meeting, workshop or volunteered to help with our non profit organization called NEST all in one week. I had something going on every single night. Kylie asked me "Why will you be gone tonight again Mom?" Well that got me thinking. Everything I am doing I do for her. I am involved at her school because I want the best for her, I get involved because I can't just sit back, I have to have my hands in something, but this made me think. I am doing all this for her but yet it is taking TIME away from her. This doesn't seem to make sense to me when I think about it that way. So Maria asking me to say NO to a task made me think even harder, does it take away from my friends and my husband just as much?? It will be interesting on our Spookin' Fun Night as I will attempt not to do anything to help, I will sit in a corner , on my hands and will take pride in knowing it can all be done without me. I have only 2.5 more years at this school and someone else will come along and become the PTA President and will run things even better than I have done. It will be all just fine!!

Believe it or not I will also be missing my first PTA meeting since Kylie started school at Denkmann. Upon Kylie's return to school there is a PTA meeting on Tuesday the 21st and for the first time in 5 years I will not be present to voice my concern, give a cheer for a job well done or to encourage other parents to get involved in their child's school. The ironic part about it all is that I will be missing it only because I will be in a meeting with the Superintendent of the District and it happens to fall on the same evening as our PTA meeting. I know the new PTA President will do just fine in holding the meeting...in fact it might be good I am gone. I still tend to step on her toes when it comes to procedures and getting the group fired up.

So far it feels good saying NO and I am sure I should say it a bit more often. However, because I have said yes and have accepted a few challenges to help my community I have met some of the best people in our community. In fact I am involved in an organization with the person who told me to say NO. I guess I need to choose my battles a bit more carefully. It will be interesting to see how I do on the 25th.

Maria- Thank you for making a suggestion for my month. I have been very lucky to have you in my life and you have cheered me up on more occasions than you know. You are a wonderful role mom to your children and your inspiration for life and happiness is addicting. I have enjoyed watching you take on challenges with full steam ahead and have cheered with you during your accomplishments. Please keep smiling and being my friend, you are so special.

A Trip Across The Bridge!!!

My day started today pretty early considering I am on vacation with Kylie. I was up early and met Debbi Swanson at the foot of the Centennial Bridge on the Rock Island side for our trip over to the Davenport Side!! When I asked my friends to send me different challenges for the month of October she wanted to know if I had ever walked over the bridge. I thought and thought again and in my 40 years of living here I had never walked over the bridge, drove over it thousands of times but never walked. So we set the day 2 weeks ago and our quest was today. I guess I never thought I needed to walk across. I am not a huge bridge fan in the first place. I am not afraid of heights but I am afraid of bridges falling. Did you see the news in Minnesota a year ago it happens. I don't like to be stopped undre bridges and don't even get me started about the Arsenal Bridge. Wooden bridges are my biggest no no's ...wood rots and thus isn't sturdy for a car or for a human for that matter. Walking up the incline of the bridge was a brisk, cool walk and my anxiety level had settled down by the middle of the bridge and besides semi's and the HUNGRY HOBO BUS that passed us 2 times before we made it to the other side , I was good. Those big autos made the bridge vibrate. I walked nearest to the rail as Deb was afraid of heights. I even stopped had my picture taken and looked over the side. I could see the vibrations of the bridge in the water near the post. That was a bit freaky.



Here we are at the top of the bridge with the background of Rock Island behind us. It really was a great way to get some exercise with a friend and a nice walk. I drove it and from where we parked it was 1.8 miles.

So while we were walking we were discussing why she suggested I do the bridge. She said that she wanted to do something that we both enjoyed all the while we could get some exercise. See Debbi is our school secretary. I met her 5 years ago when Kylie began
school at Denkmann. Kylie was hurt during recess on the playground. I got a phone call saying she had a bloody nose and all was well but she wanted me to know that she got hurt. I was a first time mom it was only a few months into the school year and I started to cry on the phone. Mrs. Swanson was the person who called. She said "Sweetie she is fine but I know you are a mom and if you want to come over to see her to make sure she was okay you can do that" How great for her to let me know it was okay to be worried and she offered me a choice to come see for myself. I arrived a few minutes later and she called for Kylie to come down and see me. After I checked Kylie out for myself she returned to her classroom. However, Mrs. Swanson said she totally understood why I was upset. Her being so comforting , made me feel secure that Kylie was being watched over at school when I couldn't be there watching her. All you mom's out there will agree with me when I say this is the best feeling ever. So since then Debbi and I have become really good friends. We enjoy sports (her husband is the athletic director at Rocky), we play trivia together with our husbands and we share a passion for mindless fun playing penny slots. Because she cared for my daughter and made a upset mom feel secure she will forever be an important person in my life. So because she suggested I walk over the bridge with her I was up for the challenge. It gave us 13 minutes of talk about whatever came to mind. I can't believe I had never done that in the past, never walked up to see the sights of the flooding along River Drive in Davenport, never walked up there to view fireworks or catch an inning at Modern Woodman Park.

The view from the bridge of our minor league park is fabulous. I do love watching games at this park, even though it is a farm league to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was cool to see pictures this year of the park with water surrounding it, however the park remained dry. I must admit walking down the incline of this bridge is much more enjoyable than walking up it at the base of Rock Island. Debbi and I reached the end of the walk off the bridge and took a moment and she snapped a picture of me on the Davenport side.



CONQUERED BY 40!! Can you tell I am laughing that I just spent my morning walking over a bridge that has been in my backyard for 40 years and I never did it until now!! I wonder why?

So my adventure with Debbi didn't end there. I mentioned above that one of my favorite mindless things to do is play penny slots. She is my partner in crime and loves them as much as I do. We even go out of town to have a girls day together to go play. So even though our intentions were to walk over the bridge to Davenport and be done our feet kept walking to the Rythm City Casino and we played our usual $20.00 and we were actually there much longer than we had expected. I was sitting on Deb's left side so of course she was winning (Are you laughing yet Deb?)

<----Debbi playing...me out of money so I am taking pictures!!! I do not take a ATM card or anything on the boat but my cash. Too Tempting!



Deb invited me out for Lunch her treat...thank gosh because again NO MONEY FOR LISA!!

We ate lunch free because she had coupons for the buffet on the boat. We spent another great afternoon together and while leaving we stopped and looked at the bridge we walked over and stopped a couple to ask them to take our picture with the bridge in the background.

Our whole day took much longer than we had anticipated as we were having too much fun together. We walked back to my car and as a gift from the Davenport Traffic division I received a parking ticket....another $15.00 down the toliet. I can never catch a break!!

Debbi....Thanks a million for your suggestions. You know how much you mean to me and how much I have enjoyed your friendship over these past few years. You make me laugh and I have so much fun with you. I can never thank you enough for being those loving arms and eyes watching over Kylie while she is at school. You know how much you mean to both of us. Thanks for making such a special day in my life before 40!!