Ahhhhh…. There is nothing better than returning home from a great vacation! Regardless of the fun and excitement of it all, that moment when you lie in our own bed for the first time in several days makes coming home all the more sweet!! I love coming home to HUGE hugs and “Mommy!!!!” there is nothing better, EVER!

San Francisco was amazing. I found myself looking forward to visiting a sunny, warm city. HA! I couldn’t believe how cold and rainy it was. With the exception of only one day, it rained, and rained and rained! We had a good time even in the rain, thankful for the complimentary umbrellas from the front desk.

We spent a lot of time on the Muni (city bus.) For $1.50 a day, we could tour all of the city attractions. On the first day, we instantly went to the Golden Gate even in the rain. How amazing! From one spot, we could take in the breath-taking view of the Bridge and then we could glance at Alcatraz. We didn’t visit the ‘jail island’. I just found it too eerie. We also went to Haight and Ashbury, the famous intersection in SF. Very cool in a hippy-dippy kind of way…. Summer of Love……We cruised the 60’s shops and cafes.

We also went to Pier 39, full of restaurants and shops. Even in the rain, we walked through the Pier. My favorite little shop was San Francisco Sock Market. This little shop was full of hundreds of socks! I bought each of the girls a fun pair. Hallie got ones that look like pink Chuck Taylors, Carly got a pair those truly look like a pair of pink ballet slippers and Lauren’s were your typical 12 year old long striped fun socks. My friend’s favorite store was Bare Essentials! We got a make-over and we were pampered. How fun! Also, we got to see all of the sea lions at the pier. They were cute and Loud!

Finally, I eat Calamari… Yes, Squid!! I am not typically one to try something new. But, I tasted it and actually enjoyed it. I even ate it twice. We also eat Calm Chowder everyday! It was amazing! It was served in a sourdough bowl. But, I have to say my all time favorite spot was Kara’s Cupcakes! Yep, we were on our way out of Girardelli Square and saw the most adorable cupcakes! I wish I could have brought them home for everyone! The cutest little girl came in with her dad and ordered a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing. She took the last one, then looked up and said, “Sorry for taking the last one”. It was so cute! I loved these cupcakes! Big surprise!

If you get a chance, I recommend a trip to San Francisco!

Living a fog lately.....

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of extracting a tooth. Let me tell you, it was pure hell! It seems that this procedure should have taken an hour or so, however, three hours later, I left the office. Obviously, things didn't go as planned and there were complications. In the end, there is trauma to most of the muscles in my mouth, tongue and gums. This typically takes up to a month to heal.

As most of you know, I am heading to California tomorrow! My bottle of heavy-duty pain killers is gone, yep gone, I have taken 20 since Friday! They called in another script, but when you take 2 every four hours, it tends to leave you in a fog.

I have spent the better half of today trying to *think* of getting organized. I haven't begun to pack, I haven't even made my lists yet. (I Have to make a list of things I need, before I can even think of packing). I haven't collected my materials that I am going to present. I haven't printed my handouts. I haven't printed my airline ticket, hotel confirmation, etc. WHAT Have I done??? I suppose that I just finished my list of things to do..lol

I sure hope there are Wal-marts in San Francisco. I can almost guarantee that I am going to forget something!!

nowhere near perfection today cort!

The Ultimate Gift - A Must See!

Okay, for the first time in a VERY long time, Craig and I had nothing to do on Saturday night!!! It was glorious! Lauren was at a friend's house and Carly and Hallie didn't have company. Basically a lovely quiet night at home. Having been to two basketball games today and still recovering from some major dental surgery, I thought we would enjoy a movie. Craig went to the local movie rental and chose our entertainment for the night. Now, keep in mind, he tries to get movies that both of us will like....but sometimes he just comes home with some 'shoot em up' movie, or something I wouldn't enjoy, but tonight he impressed me!

He got a couple of movies for the girls and 3 for us. (Well, one for us and two for him) Chuck and Larry, the second title I can't remember because it looked like some war movie my dad watches on Sunday,but the third choice was called the Ultimate Gift. He said there weren't too many on the shelf. He wanted to try something new (translation: I couldn't find a chick flick) and thought this might look interesting. It was a wonderful movie. One of those feel good inside movies. One that makes you think about your life and what you have and how fortunate we really are. It was so intimate and thought provoking that it left Craig and I both thinking about lives and the direction we are going. Confirming the fact that we are truly happy, i mean... truly happy. Yeah, we have a list a mile long of "I Want..." But, in reality, we are thankful for what we have.

I highly recommend you rent this fabulous movie!

San Francisco!!

I leave for California on Wednesday. I am presenting at a national conference for educators! I am very excited and very nervous! Lisa and I are going to teach teachers how to enhance their teaching using visuals. It is one of my favorite presentations I have done. I think it will be a great learning experience.

However, if I am leaving for any amount of time, I tend to work myself up the days prior. I worry about Craig being the single dad when Im gone. Don't get me wrong, I know he can handle it, I just hate putting him in that situation. It is a lot of work! I look at the calendar and know he can do it all, but things are crazy. He is a great dad and I know he will do a good job. My guilt eats at me and I don't enjoy my time away as much as I could even though Craig says he can handle it! I suppose that is part of being a mom and a wife.

I am looking forward to California. I know we are going to see a lot of great things. I hope I can not get too wrapped up in the worrying and enjoy myself. I know there are a lot of things to do and I can't wait!

If you have any suggestions on things I must do, please send them my way. By the way, I am so not going to Alcatraz!!! It does not interest me at all. However the Fisherman's Wharf is on my list.

Look out California, here I come!

The parents of Athletes

Why do some parents (including myself) get so competitive while our children are playing sports? The big picture is that - its just a game. Yeah I get it, but as soon as that buzzer sounds, my blood pressure rises, suddenly I think I can coach better, and I wonder why didn't my daughter make that ridiculously easy shot???? Many of the parents around me join in encouraging our daughters and trying to support the team. Is it like that when the boys play? I went to a couple of boys games, but it isn't nearly as loud, or maybe I am just not emotionally attached. During Lauren's game, every play she makes or doesn't make, I have to loudly comment. What do I think she is going to do? As I am yelling, is it like she is going to respond, like she is out there not trying her best, like she is going to hear me and think, yeah, I need to be more aggressive like mom is screaming! Before every game, I tell myself, I am not going to yell. That lasts about 2 minutes! Lauren scored 8 points tonight and I am very proud of her! Later that night, all Craig and I can do is discuss all the reasons why we lost. (our second game of the season) Lauren is out there playing her heart out and I just want her to do her best and enjoy herself. She loves playing and that is what I need to remember. I am always trying to yell constructive and positive things, but it is what I am screaming inside that leaves me drained and wishing I wasn't so tense. I don't wish ill-will on the opponent, we play some good teams. Tonight we knew several girls on the other team. I find myself cheering for the girls we know. I trully want them to do well too. Why can't I just sit there and be quiet?? It takes Craig and I an hour to calm down even after a big win. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when she is in high school. I need to start praying now.

No Christmas Cards this year, only a blog!

Hello Friends and Family,

It is the begin of a new year. As some of you may have notices, we didn't send out Christmas cards this year, so I thought I would set up a blog to let you what is going on in our crazy lives with three daughters. This is going to be my attempt to keep in touch with those of you I don't see as often as we would like. Im encouraging you to visit our site often. I want to update regularly. Feel free to leave comments, we would love to hear from you.


The girls are doing great! I can't believe they are already 12, 10, and 5. They are so involved and keep us moving all the time. With Craig driving to Evansville (1 hr and 20 min drive - one way), I find myself on the go all the time. He likes his job, his only dislike is the fact that Eville is on a different time zone than Vincennes. Yep, welcome to Indiana!


Lauren is in the sixth grade and is involved in every sport possible! Currently, she is playing basketball for South Knox. She starts and plays most of the game. Her high score this year was 16 points in one game. Her opponent that game scored 12 points as a team. I am a proud mom watching her play a sport she loves. She also played volleyball in the fall. In a few months, she will begin playing softball. She has been in an organized sport for over a year! Lauren is also 12, which means I am stupid and know nothing! Her favorite things to do include sports of course, but her all time favorite activity is texting! I think her phone is attached to her hand. What can 12 year old girls possibly be talking about at all times of the day. Its crazy!


Carly as you can see is our drama queen. She loves the limelight and keeps us smiling all the time. As a fourth grade girl, she is also very involved in many things. She recently just signed up for the quilt club at school. We shall see how she does at sewing. It will be harder for her because she isn't one to stay in one place for a long time. She plays basketball too. It isn't anything she loves, but to quote her Thanksgiving letter to her dad she says, "Thank you daddy for coaching my ball team. We both know I don't like basketball but because you like to coach, I took one for the team!" She is obviously quick witted and very creative. Her favorite activities involve anything in the kitchen. She loves to bake and cook. She wants to be Rachel Ray when she grows up. More Power to her! Carly spends a lot of her time talking with her friends and online at her favorite website: Webkinz. If you don't know what a webkinz is, check it out. She basically has virtual pets! She loves it!





Hallie is an independent five year old. She is a sponge when it comes to attitude and language. I find myself watching her and listening to her talk, which is all the time. If she is awake, her mouth is going! She played soccer this summer and loved it! She is more aggresive than both of her sisters. She scored as many as 6 goals a game because she liked to push the other girls to get the ball. It will be fun to watch her grow. Her big excitement is that she is almost done with daycare and will be going to Kindergarten next year! She can't wait! I dread it.... seriously she can't be that old! Hallie is definitely the princess in our family. Everyone caters to her and she gets her way most of the time. I guess that is part of being the youngest.

Well, that is the update with the girls. As you can see, we are super busy and we wouldn't have it any other way!!!

Welcome to our blog! Enjoy!!