little angels

Last Sunday was Taylor's first debut in a Christmas Program!



Can you seriously think of anything cuter than a stage full of 2 year olds, standing on risers (impressive), wearing halos (well, some of them) and singing Away in the Manger!

We've prepared for a month, practicing all the motions at home and wondering what she would REALLY do come time to perform. Of course fearing the worst....tears, screaming, spotting mommy and running off the stage.

We were all waiting in anticipation....Papa and Nana, Great Aunt Barb and Uncle Jim, Aunt Rebekah, Dave and Mason and I....

waiting for our angel...She did GREAT! She didn't sing and she didn't do a single action, although she knows ALL of them....but she stayed on stage, just looking around at all the other kids...I'm sure wondering what in the world was going on.

The 2nd song they all got to ring little bells. She did do this!

We were so proud...just to see her up there! Even if she did just stand there. She didn't cry till the end when all the kids started getting off the risers and going to their parents. She just stood there with a very worried look on her face and then tears poured once she saw me...I guess tears of relief!

Of course, once we got home she wanted to sing and do the motions over and over again....so enjoy her very own Christmas program from home... (please don't mind my horrible singing...and you may have to pause the music on my blog so you can hear her sweet little voice whispering some of the words)

finally

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I got really crafty back in June and made some hair bows for my niece's birthday.

In all the busyness of life, I failed to continue to get my money's worth of the supplies and make some for Taylor.

Sometimes I just need the push from someone else to help me get motivated and crafty again...

So last night, my sister (who has been staying with us the last few days) and I made these.... So, FINALLY Taylor has some new bows!

It may be 6 months before I make more...but seeing as we buy the bow for $3 a piece, and I have about $30-40 in supplies....I think I have gotten my money's worth out of them.

I have lots of supplies left...so if someone else wants to be that person who gets me going again, you can come anytime and we can make bows together!

appreciation

Today is definitely a day of rest. I think my whole body is crashing...not to mention I've been fighting off some crud that I could NOT let get the best of me before this big event was over!

Last night was my FIRST annual Premier Designs Hostess Appreciation Dinner for my 2008 hostesses! After hours and hours of prep...the fire was going, my christmas playlist from my ipod playing, coffee, hot tea, cocoa and cider waiting, the room all set up...and the yummy food ready.

The Fireside Room at our church was seriously the perfect place to do this (the location was a debate for months...at one point, it was going to be at my house, that's when I predicted I'd have 15-20 max! Good thing I decided differently!)....and a full service kitchen was the handiest thing ever!

I intended to get pictures AFTER the guests arrived...that didn't happen. So you just get the BEFORE pics.

There is absolutely NO WAY I could have pulled this off myself....no way, Hosea!

My mother-in-law did the fantastic center pieces....THANKS JACQUIE!!

My sister came from Texas, and helped with EVERYTHING....mostly the dinner! She was a TOTAL lifesaver! I pretty much told her she has to come back EVERY year for this!

My friend Alisha, who also does Premier with me, came and let me boss her around all night...seriously, Alisha, thank you for EVERYTHING....you guys totally helped me keep my head on straight!

And of course, my dear husband....mostly there for moral support...but did SO much to help too!

After months of planning, food to feed 40, awards, decorations, gifts, and quite possibly one of the longest days of my life yesterday....I am HOPING my dear hostesses left feeling honored and appreciated....and with full bellies!

I couldn't feel my feet by the end of the night...not sure I've ever worn heels for that long. But it was ALL worth it!

Now countdown to my SECOND annual dinner begins!

here he comes!

Taylor was 10 -11 months before she was taking steps holding our hands or pushing a toy...

Mason has been doing it for almost a month now...so between 8 and 9 months.

This little guy is SO ready to take off all over the place!

Big change for a BIG girl

We've been meaning to do this for awhile now and last night was finally the night.Taylor's crib is now a BIG GIRL bed!

If only you could have seen her face as the front of her crib was being taken off.....PURE excitement, as I'm sure you can tell from the pictures.

We were very excited about this too...not sure why.

I guess it's the "sweet" part of the "bittersweet" moments of watching our little girl grow up!

I'm sure we are kicking ourselves soon and wondering what in the world we were so excited about making that change for!

It had to happen sometime.

Thanksgiving Recap

On Thanksgiving Day...dinner with Dave's side of the family...

We can't keep Taylor out of the kitchen when it comes to helping...

or eating...
and of course, fun with cousins!

Grandma always has such good ideas for the kids...this time it was BINGO...I'm pretty sure Taylor was just making a design on her board.It's always so much fun at Papa and Nana's house for the holidays! Good food, crazy kids and time together....thanks Jacquie, for always making the holidays so special for us all!On Friday, it was off to Irving, TX where my sister and her husband Steve live. The drive that should have taken 5 1/2 hours took us 8. And no, the weather was fine. The joys of traveling with 2 little ones!

It was beautiful weather there, so a walk down the path behind there house was a must!

And of course, GREAT for pictures....so I just snapped away.She kept running ahead to walk by herself.It was so good to see my parents too! Taylor started referring to them as "Dippa" (gma and gpa Dippel) in pictures that she has been looking at. I didn't realize it stuck...until she started calling them that when she saw them. We tried hard to get her to say "Papa Dippa" but she reverted back to "Dippa" most of the time. Thanks Rebekah and Steve for having us! The turkey was the BEST ever!! We will miss you at Christmas!

Teachers are paid TOO much!

One day, I found a piece of paper folded up sticking in our door. At first I thought it was just junk...I opened it and found this....(given to me by a good neighbor friend!)

Aren't you all sick of those high-paid teachers?

Their hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work nine or ten months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do....baby-sit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage. That is right. I would give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked, not any of that silly planning time. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45am to 4:00pm with 45 min. off for lunch).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for those teachers to baby-sit their children.

Now, how many do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

Let's see...that's $585 x 180 - $105,300 per year.

(Hold on....my calculator must need batteries!)

What about those special teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage just to be fair, round it off to $7 an hour. That would be $7 times 6 1/2 hours times 30 children times 180 days = $245,700 per year.

Wait a minute...there is something wrong here!

There sure is, DUH!

The average teacher salary is $50,000/180 days - $277 per day/30 students = $9.23/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student). Very inexpensive babysitter and they even educate your kids!

Oh wait....and I know a few teachers who have been spit at, hit, kicked, pinched, cut, chairs thrown at them, desks knocked over, and the list goes on.....all in an elementary school classroom!

To all my teacher friends....you have one of the most important jobs of all time...you are greatly appreciated and I can only hope and pray that when my little ones are in school they will have teachers just like you...or better yet...you!

Giving Thanks

Taylor brought home a book from Sunday School with a picture on each page of all the things she is thankful for...you know, like food, mom and dad, the bible, Jesus.

If I were to make a book just like hers....
here is what would be on each of my pages....

My husband...why in the WORLD do I not tell him every day how thankful I am for him???

My beautiful little girl

My precious baby boy

Parents...Dave's and Mine

Aunts, Uncles and Cousins...near and far

Great Aunts and Uncles

Babysitters...oh my, how we are spoiled and we KNOW we take this for granted! It means so much to us to have people so close to us who will watch our kids and love every minute of it ANYTIME!

Our home

Okay, my dog too.

Being able to be a stay-at-home mom

Meaning the next page, would have to be my Premier business...since that is WHY!

Good health

My computer

Friends....old friends and new friends

Our Small Group

Our Church

and most of all....

That I, this undeserving person who messes up time and time again, am able to have a personal relationship with Jesus...and know that because of that relationship, I will spend eternity with him.

That's my "Thankful Book".

I hope you have just as many and MORE things to be thankful about in your life!

Happy Thanksgiving!

TAGGED!

My friend Danelle tagged me. This is the first time EVER I've been tagged! HOW FUN!

I see all the time on blogs where people are tagged and have to share random facts about themselves...well, go figure, my first time to be tagged and the questions are about Dave! That's okay though, he's more interesting.

So here goes:

Husbands name: John David Balzer.....wow, if you didn't know this already, you learned something ALREADY! His mom actually wanted him to be called "John David" not just John. That didn't fly for long, if at all!

How long married: 4 years in January.

How long dated: a year and 10 months.

How old is he: 29....WOW, 30 in April. The checkout lady at Wal-mart said he looked 16 or 18 or something like that. And then proceeded to tell me that I look much older than he is (I am almost 3 years younger!) I just have this feeling I will be hearing that the rest of my life...he DOES pull off that young look pretty well.

Taller: I don't think I've ever been taller than anyone...so of course, him.

Who can sing the best: well, if this means who THINKS they can sing the best...him. Or if this means who belts out singing and making up words to songs all the time...him again. He sings at work, with 4 other men probably making strange faces at him all day. He sings in the car, he sings in the shower. And yes, he is the master of making up new words at the spur of the moment when he doesn't know the real words.

Smart: if it's anything to do with his hands...he's a genius! He can fix anything, build anything, and is altogether the hardest worker I have ever known! I definitely have the books smart...but in real life...what does that really even do for ya?

Laundry: oh my, this is one big struggle at our house. I would say he does more laundry than I do. The problem is that neither of us mind running loads of laundry through the machines...it's the putting away of clothes that we can't stand! Me especially! He's just good at laundry because he sticks with it...he can sit and keep laundry going all day. I get one load in, move on to something else and forget! (If you've read the Waffles and Spaghetti book I mentioned in this post , you know why this is!)

Paying bills: Our roles over the last 4 years have gone back and forth. I used to do it all, then he used to do it all, then we did it together. As far as knowing when bills are due, how much they are, etc....this is HIM and he is VERY good at it! But as far as the details and record keeping...this is ALL me!

Who sleeps on the right side of bed: depends which way you look at it. If you are looking at the bed, I sleep on the right side.

Mows the lawn: 100% him. He takes GREAT pride in our yard and enjoys it. The one time I decided to ask if I could help mow...2 minutes later I ran over a stump in the yard and broke the mower completely! I haven't attempted since. He just loves being outside...much more than I do.
Cooks dinner: If you mean, putting ingredients together, following a recipe and making something really yummy...that's me. He'll do it if I plan it and leave it out for him. But, he does dinner MANY nights when I am at jewelry shows...he's SO good at making sure the kids are fed. If that means frozen pizza...no complaints by me! He is a master at grilling and smoking though! And also makes some awesome chili and soup!

First to admit they are wrong: Him...hands down.

Who kissed first: I guess he kissed me first. But it's not like I didn't know it was coming.

Who wears the pants: Different situations call for a different pants-wearer! I think we are pretty well balanced.


And here he is....the most wonderful man in the whole wide world (wearing Taylor's farmer hat).I am VERY thankful!

Now, I guess I'm supposed to tag three people. So here's who's getting tagged: Kendall, Jess, and Shannon.

he's back

If you're a K-State fan, or even just a college football fan, this is old news to you....
Bill Snyder is returning to K-State!

I LOVED Bill Snyder! (notice the past tense)

I still like him, he did amazing things at K-State and actually has been quoted as the "coach of the century". I just hope he can do the same amazing things this time around. If anything, I'm sure he will bring the K-State Family all back together again after these last 2 losing seasons.

I'm definitely a bigger "Bill fan" than Dave...go figure. He is predicting now that he will just be average...will never be a contender for the Big 12 title. He won't do anything like he did 10 years ago. And he will hurt his name.

A little harsh I would say.

I predict that Bill will do some good things...nothing miraculous, but I think he WILL improve the program and get things going in a positive direction...I just hope he can leave again with as much pride as the first time!

So we'll see.