Looking Back ...

Things I hoped to accomplish in 2009!!

CHECK-… Spend more time with Justin and Makenna ... Pretty sure no parent ever feels like they spend enough time with their kids. They just grow up so fast … I am sure this will be something on my “to do list” for the next 15 years.

CHECK--… Curtains and New Livingroom Furniture … Uh a check with a double minus because the curtains are all done except the big picture window in the front room. I know we so desperately need a curtain for it … yet it will require either me getting a job or finding a sprouting money tree to get the curtains I want for that window. As for the furniture … hopefully soon!!

FAILED … Scrapbook, scrapbook and more scrapbooking … some how this past year my craft room turned into my crap room. Failed this miserably … didn’t even complete 1 page. UGH :(

FAILED … Participate in Relay for Life … hopeful for 2010.

CHECK … Join MOPS … I joined MOPS at First Presbyterian Church 4 months ago. I cherish the bi-monthly morning break.

CHECK … Family Vacation … No where super exciting but according to Justin was his favorite vacation ever. We spent last spring break in Iowa with my sister Lori and her family. About a month ago Dwight and Justin were talking about the vacations we had been on since he was born.

Justin - “My favorite vacation was our trip to Iowa”
Dwight - “Iowa is better than the beach or Disney World”
Justin - “Uh yeah, I love my cousins”

CHECK …. More Date Nights … Now that the kids are getting a little older it is easier to find family babysitters who enjoy watching them. Allows for more date nights when you aren’t having to spend the extra $$ on babysitters.

CHECK … Stay Connected with Friends ... Had my 20th High School this reunion this year and had the chance to catch up with old friends. Between my reunion and facebook I have reconnected with several old friends.

CHECK - …. Lose 10 more pounds … Lost 12 before my reunion in June and then I ruptured my Achilles and it was down hill from there. I gained back 5 so for the year it is 7 lost.

CHECK …. Keep Blogging … Dwight will be the first to tell you that I’ll up date my blog before I’ll clean the house.

8 out of 10 ………. not too bad!!

Opening Presents ...

My dad and Bobbye joined us for "the opening of the presents" on Christmas morning.

~ Bobbye, Makenna and Justin ... Christmas Morning ~

~ Ready, Set, UNWRAP ~

~ Justin likes getting clothes as long as it is "cool clothes" ... Batman and Star Wars shirts are "cool" ~

~ Grandpa Stan, Justin and Makenna with the wooden crane he made for Justin ... this was a special order toy that Justin asked Grandpa to make ... it is super nice ~

~ The kids helping Bobbye open her playing cards ~

~ Makenna attempting to wait her turn ... her package is half open but she really is trying so hard to wait for daddy to finish opening his package ~


On December 26th Dwight's parents (Bruce and Sharon) and his sister (Nadene) and her family joined us for a Breakfast Brunch and package exchange ~

Dave and Amanda helping baby Memphis open his package ~

~ Madalee excited to open her present ~

~ Makenna and Justin opening up their "Movie Night" package ~

Happy Holidays ...

I was excited to be completely done shopping weeks ago but have seriously procrastinated with the rest of my annual holiday duties.

Justin is growing up way too fast. Can you believe he is almost 7 years old? He is in 1st grade and loves school. Besides recess he enjoys reading and has really excelled in math. We had fun watching him play his first season of baseball this summer. He like playing baseball so much that he just finished up an indoor fall season league and is excited to play again next summer. When not playing sports he likes to play with his Legos, Star Wars toys, fish with daddy and do wood working projects with Grandpa Stan.

Our wild one Makenna turned 3 in November. Fearless and full of spunk she will get into just about everything. She was slow to talk but has really made up for lost time with continuous chatter and constant questions. This year was an exciting year for her. She graduated to a “big girl bed”, is now wearing big girl panties and started preschool. Elmo, books, dolls and coloring keeps her busy.

Cleaning, cooking and keeping up with the kids keeps me busy. I joined MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) and love the bi-monthly morning break. It is wonderful to be surrounded by a room full of women who understand my world. I volunteer at Justin’s school whenever needed, do crafts or sew when I get the chance and try to keep up with our family blog. I started running again in spring and was up to 25+ miles a week when I ruptured my Achilles Tendon in early October. It has been a slow and long healing process. I hoping to get back to running again this year.

Dwight has had a year jammed packed with one project after another. He started the year off with a trip to Texas to pick up a new Peterbilt truck. He spent 3 months converting, painting and perfecting his newest addition to Michael Trucking. By April his black beauty dump truck was ready to make money. The next 3 months were spent restoring 3 tractors for a gentleman out of Pennsylvania. The transport semi came at the end of June and off they went. Dwight parents had a water leak in their house that caused extensive damage to their kitchen. Dwight spent close to 2 months negotiating with the insurance company and remodeling their kitchen. Despite the slow economy, lack of construction and road maintenance cutbacks Dwight still owns and manages Michael Trucking. Business has been extremely slow but we remain hopefully and look forward to seeing the upside of this recession.

Here’s to a new decade of memories and many adventures. From our house to yours.

Happy New Year!!
The Michael Family
Dwight, Bonnie, Justin and Makenna

Naughty or Nice ...

Apparently Justin and Makenna made the nice list this year. Santa unloaded his sleigh at our house. From the day we started talking about Santa in our house Makenna was stuck on wanting an Elmo Hat. Justin continuously changed his mind … Star Wars Toys, Legos, GI Joe Tank, Broncos Jersey, Broncos Bean Bag … the list went on and on. Every magazine, every commercial ,every trip to the store and Justin was changing his list. Based on their reactions I pretty sure they were both thrilled with what Santa left for them.

~ Our annual Tradition that Justin's Cousin Amanda taught him about several years ago ... if you leave Santa cookies and milk he will leave you a movie ~

~ Santa was here ~

~ The Kids waiting for Daddy to get the video camera ready ~

~ The 1st look at what Santa left ~

~ Makenna was SO happy ... her ELMO HAT ... seriously Santa could have left ONLY this and she would have been thrilled!! ~

~ Oh yeah ... finally a new jersey to replace the old "Cutler" jersey Justin has been wearing on Bronco Sunday ~

~ Makenna unloading her stocking ~

Justin with his FX Movie Replica Anakin Lightsaber ... This thing is pretty cool ... looks and feels like a real lightsaber ... Dwight was explaining to Justin that is was more a collectible than a toy to play with cause it was "just like the real ones used in the movie. Justin looked at Dwight with big eyes and said "does that mean I will kill Makenna if I touch her"?

~ Daddy and Makenna in her new School House ~

Twas the Night before Christmas ...

Every year on Christmas Eve we gather with Dwight’s mothers extended family at the annual “Hodges Holiday Party”. For the past several years the gathering has been at The Senior Center in Wellington. This is the one time of the year that we get a chance to visit with some of Dwight’s relatives. We always have a great time but it sure does make for a long night for the kids. By the time we got home at 11:00 pm, despite the excitement of Santa coming the kids were exhausted and went straight to bed.

~ The Michael Family ~

Back Row: Dwight, Bonnie, Amber, Amanda, Colby, Derek, Nadene, Bill

Front Row: Madalee (3), Sharon, Justin (6), Memphis (1), Bruce, Makenna (3)

~ The Hodge's ~

Sharon (Dwight's Mom in Green) with her brother's and sister's

Marvin and Dwayne

Charlene, Beverly, Sharon

~ Great Nephew Memphis ~

~ Makenna and our Great Niece Madalee ~

All I want for Christmas ...

Today Grandpa Stan, Bobbye and I took the kids to see Santa. For 2 days he is visiting with children at Bath Nursery (a local nursery/greenhouse) and he even brought 2 of his reindeers!! Wow was Justin and Makenna surprised to see the reindeer out front!!

Since we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes we had some time to talk to Makenna about actually getting near Santa this year. Last year she was horrified of him!!

Makenna was super excited until she got up close to Santa. She almost melted but decided it was ok to sit next to Santa for a few pictures then she was done. She wasn’t having much of the man in the red suit and refused to say a word.

Justin had a nice visit with Santa and gave him a long list of stuff I had NO idea he wanted. That’s what happens when Santa shops early ... Guess Justin really is going to be surprised on Christmas morning this year!!

Makenna wants an Elmo hat for Christmas! She has been talking about this hat for over a month now … the 2 of us were shopping at Walmart weeks ago and saw an Elmo Stocking Hat … Makenna really wanted it but I resisted and didn’t buy it - I told her to we would put it on her Christmas list … now that is the ONLY thing she has asked for.

Just in case you were wondering if Santa is haunting every Walmart in Colorado to find the hat … I was smart enough to get my order in to Santa once she continued to talk about it … good thing cause I haven’t seen it since!

After we got home from seeing Santa today I asked Makenna if she was excited for Santa to come to our house … her reply “mom you buy my hat at Walmart I don’t like Santa”. Ummmm I’m pretty sure this might qualify her for the naughty list??

Sew Cute ...

My 7 year old niece Taylor asked for bunk beds for her American Girl Dolls. Grandpa Stan has been super busy with “grandpa’s workshop” and made her a bunk bed for her dolls. Well what’s a girl to do without some cute bedding? Grandpa finished the bed and I spent yesterday making some darling bedding. Fitted bottom sheets, reversible top sheet, pillow, chenille and fleece comforter and for added cuteness a throw pillow for each bed!!

Elmo Live ...

In case you didn’t realize Makenna LOVES Elmo. She just can’t get enough of that adorable red furry monster. Well the day finally came … Makenna has been waiting weeks to see ELMO LIVE. Elmo and his friends from Sesame Street were at The Budweiser event center on Friday night for a special show --- “Elmo Grows Up”. Dwight and I had a special night out with Makenna …. while Justin had a special night out with Grandma Sharon.

~ Makenna ready for her special night out ~

~ I took this picture as soon as they opened the curtains ... Makenna was a little unsure of what to think about a really life size Elmo ~

~ Daddy and his little girl ~

~ Up close with Elmo ... These people were seated right in front of us ~

~ Here comes Bert ~

~ Mommy and Makenna ~

~ The End of the Show ... Makenna was sad to say Night Night to Elmo ~