Biggest Loser woes...

Some of you know, and some don't, but my babysitter Abby and I sent in an audition tape for Biggest Loser. They announced that they were doing couples again and it just seemed like the perfect time for both of us. We worked so hard on the tape and made it really unique. Well, I just found out that their next season of couples is going to be Couples: Family! They decided to only take blood relatives for this next season. I wish so badly that they would have specified that prior to us making and sending in our tape. Talk about disapointment! I am under the impression that the next season (2 from now) will be BL Couples again with no restrictions. I am sure we would have applied for that one had we known. Now, our demo tape is gone in their hands. As far as I know they won't keep those audition tapes for casting season 7, but who knows.

Now, because we applied and said that we were committed to losing weight, we need to stick to our guns. I'm in the process of coming up with a rigid fitness plan for both of us to do. We will have to seriously adjust our eating as well. I know Abby is on board too. Enough is enough and we don't need a tv show to make it happen. So any advice, tips or suggestions are welcome! We will need help and encouragement from everyone!

Little League Season is Here!

Take me out to the.....BALL GAME!


Ya!!! It's that time of year again and we are so excited. This year, both Ben and Laura are playing ball. Fortunatly the weather has accomodated us with only slight snow flurries here and there. Despite some minor hick-ups with uniforms and what not, the league seems to be ready to go and we couldn't be happier.


Ben is playing his third (and final) year on the Minor League Diamond Backs. He loves his team and is supposed to be playing 2nd base this year. He is very glad to be leaving the outfield and coming to where the action is. And with the D-Backs new colors this year, he couldn't be more thrilled! Red and Black uniforms would make any boy happy!


Laura is playing t-ball. We really wanted her to have to focus on something and this is a perfect thing for her. She will learn to be patient and to be more allert. She tends to look a little blond sometimess, so this will help with that. I am the manager of her team and Jeremiah is the coach. We are the Angels! How fun is that. Of course Laura said, "ohh, I am an angel now!" All with a tone that is like "oh, how sweet". Too funny! It's really hard not to expect very much from these kids. You want them to grasp running the bases and catching, but it just doesn't happen over night. But we are having all kinds of fun and that's what counts.


So be looking for pictures throughout the season.

PLAY BALL!

Wow, wow and more WOW!!!

Ok, so AutoCAD has been going for a week now. The first 3 days were HELL! I called my academic advisor and told him I wanted in a new class. He encouraged me to stick to it for a couple of weeks and if I still felt the same then we could talk. I'm so glad I listened. It's still hard, don't get me wrong. It feels so good when you accomplish something that you were ready to give up on. I had to continue and see this through. After all, I was going to have to do it eventually.

Now, if any of you have ever used Excel, this is very much like that. You give the computer camands and it does what you want it to do. You use the tools, that are represented as icons on over 12 menus! Once you choose the right tool, then you have to use the right comands in the right order for the program to create a line. Yes, just one line. Then you can break the line, copy the line, trim the line....but you have to know how to make a line. Then, heaven forbid you mess up and have to back track to find where! So difficult, yes! Impossible, I think not.

This is the first class I've had to seek tutoring, extra books for help, and "practice" time. But the instructor is great and she gives "live" sessions each week so we can see it done first hand. That is a huge help! Sometimes you have to just get in and get you hands dirty to see that things can be done. This is one of those things!

More to come....

Up Next....AutoCAD

Well, I'm on the final stretch for school. I have 4 more classes (including this one) and should be done by the end of summer. AutoCAD (automated computer assisted drafting) is difficult to say the least. To learn all that I'm supposed to in 5 1/2 weeks is almost unreal. I'm looking into taking more classes in this later, to ensure I learn all I can. It is the way the experts create drafts now, and almost nothing is done by hand anymore. I feel this class, above all the others, is the most important thing I can learn. I just hope that after the time I had with the drafting class that this will come easier. Now that I'm no longer working, I know I will be able to devote more time to classes...DAY time!!! I used to have to do all my class work in the evening when the kids went to bed. Now, I will be able to work while Dylan is napping and the kids are at school. Wonderful!!!

So here's to another class! I'll keep you all posted!

Total 180...for Easter

Easter this year was so warm and wonderful! After the mad snow storm for last year's Easter, we couldn't wait for a warm, clear holiday.
Dylan was big enough to really enjoy the day this year too. It was so great! When he went out to look for eggs, he ran right past them and made a dash for a baseball and threw that in his bucket! Too cute!
Laura insisted on a pink dress. The white dress with pink polk-a-dots was just what she wanted. It was still a little chilly, so a white cardigan made the outfit complete.
Dylan and Ben both wore green and they looked so handsome.
I was playing with Photoshop here, so no, it's not your eyes. I just really liked the funny coloring for some reason. I also have the photo in black and white (and natural color) if you like. (I can email it to you if you ask) These pictures of Dylan and Laura were other photos, but all the cars were the back drop. So I cropped them out of those pictures and added them to these fun backgrounds. Aren't they cute! I'm still practicing, but it's so much fun!















I loved reading about every one's Easter and it made me want to share some pictures. Hope you all enjoy!

New Baby Girls...

Oh how I can't wait to kiss on these new babies! The long awaited arrival of the Gifford girls came on March 20, 2008 at 1:40 and 1:50 am. The first day of Spring and the day before our beloved grandma Helen's birthday Baby Sophie came first (Sophia Eleni - Greek in honor of Michael's heritage....Eleni meaning Helen) and came out screaming. A tiny 4lbs, 3oz but full of vigor none the less. Next was Savanah (Savanah Hope....how perfect) who needed a lot of coaxing to join us. She was just too warm and happy where she was and was probably loving that she had a little more room! She weighed in at 4lbs, 11oz. She needed oxygen for a while, but is being stabilized without it now.

I get so excited when my sisters have babies. To know that they are experiencing that type of love and joy makes my heart leap and my eyes well with tears. To know that now, dear Michelle, now knows this too is more than words can express. These children make us excited, happy, fearful, hysterical, sad, smart, dumb, perfect and full of flaws. We give them our all every second and know that they love us no matter what. They are pictures of us and are reflections of our deepest selves. They are beautiful masterpieces of the Lord God Himself that are loaned to us with trust. It's so humbling and thrilling all at once.

I want these little angels to know what their mommy went through to finally get them here. The love and faith it took to bring this day is amazing. There has been so many trials and peaks and valleys. How one person can survive all of that is amazing, but a couple having to go through that is almost impossible. I am honored to call these babies my nieces and, even more, Michelle my sister!

Where I'm At, What I'm Doing....

I've been so busy and what else is new

Good days,

Bad days,

I've had a few.

Still taking classes and working hard

Late nights,

Bright lights,

For a good report card.

Kids have been sick almost all Winter

Stuffy noses,

Aching ears,

It almost seems sinister!

I've applied for Biggest Loser Couples too,

Funny skits,

Revealing tales,

Hoping to make my old body new.

The house work never seems done,

dishes galore,

laundry loads,

I'm ready for some fun!

What do I need? What more can I say?

happy hearts,

laughing smiles,

Sisters together this very day!

Winter Wonderland

1946 Version

Sleigh bells ring, are ya listenin'?

In the lane snow is glistenin'

a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

walkin' in a winter wonderland!

Gone away is the bluebird

here to stay is a new bird

he sings a love song as we go along

walkin' in a winter wonderland!

In the meadow we can build a snowman

then pretend that he is Parson Brown

he'll say "Are you married?"

we'll say "No man!

But you can do the job,

when you're in town!"

Later on, we'll conspire,

as we dream, by the fire,

to face unafraid,

the plans that we've made

walkin' in a winter wonderland

(repeat all)

We'll be happy in love

as two turtle doves

livin' in a fairy land!...

Oh!...we'll be walkin'

in a winter wonderland!

Words and Music by Felix Bernard

and Dick Smith

This Boy Can Eat!!

What boy can't, right? Well, Dylan has his moments when he can put away as much as the rest of us. His favorite is spaghetti. Tonight, he ate Tortilla soup and loved every minute of it, saying, "mmmmm" the whole time. There are some things he's still not too keen on. Chicken is one of them. As funny as it seems, I can't get him to eat a chicken nugget for the life of me. Give him a fish stick and he's in heaven. But no chicken.

These pictures are after a bowl of mac and cheese. After the last bite, he started signing more (he can do the sign for more, all done, and hungry....very useful when they can't talk!). Well, there wasn't more, so I gave him the bowl and spoon. He threw the spoon down to the floor, picked up the bowl and started licking it. After I was able to stop laughing enough to stand, I grabbed my camera. These snap shots were the result. You would think it was a bowl of the best thing ever! It was to him anyway. Oh to be a baby and get away with such bliss!

Baby Ben turns 11!

Some of you know, and some of you don't, but Ben was named after a character in a book called 'Benjamin and Tulip'. It's a children's book that I used to read and create voices for the characters. It's a funny story and is very cute. Sweet little Benjamin (who is a raccoon) gets pummeled by Tulip (another raccoon) while sent out to the store to get a watermelon. His middle name is Paul, after my dad's uncle Paul. Both names are just good, solid names. It was between that and Wyatt something or other. When he was born, I took one look at him and said that's a baby Ben. Well, I found out several months after he was born that my grandma's Aunt Kate (who I'm named after) had two sons, Benjamin and Paul!

Well, that little baby turned 11 on Christmas eve. He is so sweet and kind and the best big brother you will ever see. He has a wonderful way with younger children and usually doesn't mind giving them extra attention. He's a wonderful student who loves to read and write short stories. He's learning the saxophone and volunteers to help in a second grade class with their reading. He loves his family and plans to work at Grandpa's ranch in Wyoming until he goes away to college at USC (a favorite of grandpa's). He's the next best thing to sliced bread and the apple of every ones eye. What more could a mom ask for? He's the best Christmas present I have ever, and will ever receive.

"Another Halloween, we're all another year older!"

That is a quote from one of my favorite movies, 'Meet Me In St Louis'. I know it's awful to say, but I love Halloween! It kicks off the season. It's almost exactly the day the air turns crisp and all the leaves have turned. It signifies wonderful memories for me. When I was really young, we would dress up, usually borrowing from the costumes at the Conservatory where Michelle received her guitar instruction. When we were older, my mother would read aloud Martin Luther's 95 Thesis. We would also make pumpkin bread for neighbors.

I get a huge thrill out of thinking of and creating my children's costumes. This year took the cake! Ben was a 'dead man' with a white face, tuxedo and coffin. I don't know why I don't have a picture, but I can't seem to find it!! :( Anyway, we painted his face white and sprayed his hair white. Then I made dark 'wrinkle' lines under his eyes and across his forehead. We rented a tuxedo for the occasion because, as he put it, "a man having a proper burial would wear one". He held a black rose to his chest to top off the ensemble. The cherry on the sundae was his coffin. We used a cardboard coffin that was sold at Walmart for yard display. We cut slits in the back to harness a belt through it to attach to him. It looked so amazing! Alas, he couldn't walk very well with the coffin and it had only a short life (no pun intended!).

Laura, bless her heart, had the stomach flu so bad on Halloween. It was awful because her costume was so great and she wanted to go out SO bad. We tried getting her into the costume and just that effort was too much for her. Later in the evening we tried again, and she was able to go to a couple of the neighbor's houses. She was a beautiful butterfly fairy. I saw these fabulous purple, turquoise and black wings at Wally-World (yes, we live there!). Then, after some looking in the fabric department, I came across the most amazing 'stuff'. I can't describe it perfectly, but let's just say is was almost like real butterfly wings! It was like fur and silk and feathers all in one. It was striped with jewel tone colors like fuchsia, turquoise, purple, yellow...all very bright. They almost looked airbrushed onto black. That was a skirt with a 3 layer (very big) black, tulle skirt under it. A black leotard, an ornate wand and she transformed into the most amazing butterfly! As you can see, despite the flu, she looked beautiful!

Dylan was a pirate on "The Baby Dutchman". His outfit was simple...a red, black and white striped shirt with black sweat pants. He had a red bandanna for a had and carried (randomly) a great little pirate sword. The best part was rigging his stroller to look like the front of a pirate ship! He had a sail and a pirates flag and everything! He was so good and had so much fun!

So, I might be a heathen for saying so, but I really do love this event. The kids love it, the parents love it, and it's good, clean fun (for us anyway). You have to admit, the kid in all of us really likes dressing up and getting free candy, right?!!

Kids' Christmas Programs

I think my favorite thing about this time of year is the Christmas programs. This year, there were some "new additions" with Laura and Hayden in school. Our school splits up the programs into two nights to accommodate all the viewers in the
auditorium. Fortunately, Ben and Laura were on the same night! Hayden (Jenny's son) was the next night, so we were able to go to that too without any scheduling conflicts.
Laura's class (along with another) sang Here Comes Santa Clause wearing Santa hats and doing motions to the words. They also said a little poem about Shy Santa. Laura was quick to explain that it was more of a riddle than a poem because it asks questions. Kids are too smart for their own good! Then they sang a cute little song called Wrap Me Up. It's about wrapping yourself up with Christmas paper and placing a bow on your head and mailing yourself off to someone you love. Now, if you all know me at all, you can imagine that I have little tears of pride and joy throughout these performances. Well, this little sweet song did it for me. I thought about how the kids would wrap themselves up and send themselves to Grandma and Grandpa if they could. Anyway, she did very well and was right on the front row for her proud mommy to see!

Ben's class sang a song called Everywhere, Christmas. Ben played an instrument much like a xylophone. He did very well, but seemed very nervous. Then he joined the rest of the class to sing a song called Sing Noel. This song is interesting. The ENTIRE song is just "sing noel, sing noel, noel, noel". Literally the entire thing!!! I can't remember how many verses of sing noel I heard, but suffice it to say the song was stuck in my head for days to come!

Now that the holidays are over, I can say without a doubt, the highlight for me was probably seeing my babies, dressed in their best, performing....just for me!