Way To Go Ladies!!!

Okay, so the US Women's Soccer team was defeated by Brazil. Okay, I'll admit, they got their butt's whooped, but they played awesome and they played their hearts out, which is more than I can do. So I played for 12 years, and there is no way I could get back on the field now with my hip in the condition it is in, but I'm telling you, when I watch these women out there kicking butt, it takes me back to when I played, and I love it. It is the one sport I cannot get sick of. They made it really far and I hope they take the 3rd place spot on Sunday. So, I will be awake, at 4 in the morning, coffee in hand, in the basement so I can yell and scream and cheer them on as if I were in China with them.

GO USA!!!!

I CAN'T STAY QUIET ANY LONGER!!!

Okay, this picture says it all. So the Bears made a switch of their quarterback. Whip-d-doo (to say it nicely), there still is no I in team or in Rex. They are my favorite team, they will always be my favorite team. I will be a Bears fan until the day I die, even if they are losing and they go an entire season 0-16, I will still love my Chicago Bears; however, if you are losing, and you have one very slight chance to win, then take the chance. The worse thing that could happen is, you can still lose.

Now, with that said, the only person that usually comments on this blog is Michelle, love you too; but I have to say this, if Ozzie Guillen was coaching, he would have made the change in the 3rd quarter last week. He wouldn't have waited. Why can't you change QB's in the middle of game like you can pitchers in baseball? AND, he wouldn't have waited until Wednesday to make the announcement, he would have made it Monday morning.

Okay, I'm done babbling on. I still love the Bears and have a lot of respect for anyone that goes out and gets their butt kicked on a daily basis and I really feel good about what is to come. So, with that said, I welcome any comments on the change. And only have one more thing to say.....

GO BEARS!!!!

Happy Birthday To You!!!!

Happy Birthday Aunty Cherri!!!! We love you so much, and hope your birthday is awsome and totally rox your sox off! Love Christie!!!

It is my sister, Cherri's birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I know she will kill me for posting this pic, but I don't have very many pics of the two of us together. Every year we do the Relay for Life together and it is one thing I love doing with her. She is my older sister (only by 15 months) and I miss hanging with her, but when we get together, I have a great time with her. SO, Happy Birthday Sis, you are a great mom, great sister and best friend!!!

My Awesome Nephews!!

Here are my two nephews. They are so adorable. I love getting new pics since they live in Colorado, we don't get to see them as often as we want, but here are the latest pics, thanks Amy!!

Christie and Cora

My reflection yesterday back to the days of Christie and Cora were so surreal. I get emotional, but I just can't help but smile. So here are the pictures I was able to find last minute to share with you. Maybe over the weekend I will search for some more of our fun camping pictures.






Here is Chrisie and Cora at the lake when Christie wasn't even 2 and Cora was 7.

Here is Ed, Casey, Cora and Christie in Chicago. They came to visit and Ron took them all to Taste of Chicago. This was the last vacation we had with Cora.













And here is my Christie. Isn't she beautiful? I can't believe how big she is. She truly has come into her own and definitely isn't a little girl any longer.

Two Beautiful Young Ladies

So Christie came home yesterday from school and, very nonchalantly, hands me a package and says "here you go". It was her school pictures from middle school. I honestly just stood up and gave her the biggest hug I could and began to cry. This time is so very hard for me.

It was six years ago this January that our dear friends, Ed and Martina, lost their daughter Cora to leukemia. She was just entering the 7th grade. I remember getting her school picture at the end of 6th grade and saying "she isn't a little girl any more, she's a young lady with so much ahead of her now". And 8 months later, she was gone. She was diagnosed on July 17th and passed away on January 17th.

When I look at Christie now, I see her whole life in front of her. She is becoming such a beautiful young lady. She has new friends, in a new school and has so many new adventures ahead of her. We talk often of how many friends she has and I tell her, cherish the times you have because one day they could move away or something and all you will have are memories. I just hope that she never has to experience that ever again, or us.

So, although her picture isn't posted this very moment (promise I will get it up tomorrow), I want everyone that may read this today to take a moment to ponder one thing. CHERISH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR JUST A MOMENT RIGHT NOW. I never thought that when we moved away from Duluth, that the last time I would talk to Cora, would be over the phone. I promised her on Wednesday that we would be up on Friday to see her, but the pain was too much for her to bear, and she just couldn't hold on. She passed on Thursday morning. She told Martina to make sure to tell us, she still loved us, even if she wasn't there when we arrived.

I miss her almost everyday. It was as if I lost my own daughter. Christie lost a sister, and our entire family lost a wonderful friend, but the memories we have are so tremendous, that even after 6 years, I laugh so hard that it brings me to tears about how many fun times we had. Now that Christie is older, and has friends of her own that she goes off with away from home, I just hope she knows home much Ron and I love her and cherish EVERY WAKING MOMENT with her.

We still have Will and Ashley and Courtney who will be going through the same thing, but I think it is harder on us with Christie because Cora was her best friend. The first person she ever loved besides her family. The only reason she took her first step, went pee on the potty, and even got on her first bicycle. We love you Christie and we love you Cora. Two beautiful girls, that will forever be Young Ladies!

It's A Girl!!

Our cousins Dana and Tom, along with Jack and Ben, welcomed McKenna Kathryn on September 7th. She was 9lbs. 5 ozs and 20 3/4 ins long. We are so happy to have all the babies in the family.

We are also happy to announce that our old neighbors, Michelle, Brad and Ella will be welcoming a little girl in February.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!!!!

Here's Sullivan