Winter Update

It certainly has been a busy few months to say the least. With Jordan having the lead roll in A Christmas Story as Ralphie, it kept me on the go on a daily basis. Jacob was at my side most of the time, making him a great lil brother not complaining at all as he sat at GEVA waiting for the rehearsals to be over.
Jordan's first show proved to be harder on mom and dad than Jordan. While he was a bit nervous, we were ready to throw up! I felt dizzy and light headed. How goofy for me, not the one even going on the stage! He did GREAT! Tears filled my eyes as I saw him do such a great job!
Each show had something a little different as Jordan was feeling his way around with artistic creativity. His shows got better and better! There were a couple of hitches, some with him some not....he even performed sick, throwing up in the dressing room 3 minutes after getting off the stage! I told him to suck it up and act like actors do and did he ever! I was proud that he "sucked it up" but felt bad that he really was so sick. That was the day the Howard's came to visit, and stayed for Christmas! It was great for us to have the Howard's with us during this time, as none of us were feeling in the holiday mood. (None of us adults I should say.) As almost everyone took turns with the stomach bug, our Christmas holiday was full of sick little ones, both mine and the Howard's. Jacob and I are the only ones in our family that didn't throw up. (Knock on wood!)
During our hectic fall and start of winter...there were football games and somehow Korey and I got roped into working at the concession stand for the home games! I have to say that we had fun together working in the stand. I was approached to take it over for next year, but then a different calling came my way, to be President of the Football Boosters. While I didn't even vote for myself, I still was elected. So this is the month that I start my official duties! I am a bit nervous, but I will put my all into it!
Lil Korey is now into the wrestling season, and with this comes concession stands, but so far only Big Korey has worked those, due to me being at the theater with Jordan. I told Big Korey not to volunteer me for the stands at this time. haha.
With the new year here, we realized that Jacob only has 9 months left to being home with me and will then he will be in kindergarten! It is sad, but we see his growth and love for pre-school, so he will love getting to go to kindergarten. He is ready in every way....it is mom and dad that are not ready.
Next up for Jordan...an audition for James and the Giant Peach...wish him luck!

This ones for you....Korey! Ode to the BEE MAN!

Korey has taken on the love of Honey Bees! Yes, he is one with the bees! Earlier this year, for his birthday to be exact, our friend Paul DeGraff gave Korey for his birthday bee box parts...for he knew he passed his love of bees onto Korey. I guess it was now time for Korey to learn more of the ropes of caring for bees in every way! Well, Korey embraced this gift! They built, he painted and now has filled a box with his very own swarm of bees!

(That is a swarm of bees in that hole in the tree....ewwwwww)

And they are thriving, he says!

While the DeGraff's were on vacation, it was Korey's job to tend to all of the bees! For the first time he was going to pull a tray out (not sure of lingo!) with the honeycomb, and he would get the honey out of the comb....filter it and then bottle the honey!

Now, I know what a mess this can be! For Bro. DeGraff has brought over the honeycomb before for Korey to extract some honey, but it was just a small one....small in size but large in sticky mess! Not to mention that when you melt that honeycomb it causes a BIG MESS! Does not come off cookie sheets very well. Dare I say that it actually ruined it, because I can't use that one any more to make cream puffs on! Any way...back to Korey's story....I will let the pictures tell the story!

Korey heating the honey to just the right temperature!

Straining it through the first filter....

Now through the second filter....

Jacob helping daddy hold the bottle steady, and having the confidence in his holding it steady to make a funny face!

Jordan and Korey having filled the first bottle of Honey!

All the boys got in on the action of helping Korey bottle the honey!

And....the best part of this story....there were no pots and pans ruined in the making of this honey!

**DISCLAIMER, if you made it all the way through this post, you must really love us, or be REALLY, REALLY bored!!

Fall update -Family First!....(It's a seasonal thing now I guess!)

Well, summer is over and school has started. Lil Korey is in 9th grade! He is in HIGH SCHOOL! It is hard for me to believe! He is such a good kid. He certainly drives me nuts at times. And I am sooo glad that he worked full time over the summer, because he LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to cause trouble with his lil brothers! Now that he is 14 he is old enough to attend Seminary. Which here in NY it is EARLY MORNING seminary! This means he has to be at the church at 5:55 AM every school day! YES, 5:55 AM! He does it, and he doesn't complain. (Well he might tomorrow, because he is allowed to stay up late tonight to watch the Dolphins game, so he may be hurting for sleep tomorrow!) He is also on the freshman football team. This year he is playing more in one game than in the whole season last year! He has a good heart, and he puts it into all he does! (school work aside...unfortunately!) I still have to be on him about all his assignments, but I think I have 4 more years of this, and really....4 more years isn't that long...the first 14 years went by so fast!

Lil Korey's first day of High School! He was not thrilled with me taking pictures when he was now in HIGH SCHOOL!

The next in line is Jordan. Jordan is now in 5th grade! One more year and he will be in the middle school. He is so short that I can't believe that he is actually going to be in middle school so soon! Jordan is in the Hill Top group (selected singing group) and he has tried out for "Ralphie" in Geva Theater's production of "A Christmas Story". His fist audition ever! He actually got a call back! Then to the next reading...we were nervous and thinking more and more that this was possible, he could actually get this part! We were sent home to play the waiting game some more. Then we got the FINAL CALL BACK! We were nervous, but Jordan as time went on, gained more and more confidence! By the time he went in, he was pretty confident and socializing with the others who were trying out for the various rolls. Then, sent home to wait some more.....oh the drama of waiting! Well, I checked my e-mail one afternoon and saw a message from the director in my in box! I was excited and nervous at the same time for Jordan! I opened it up scanned down the page so I could just see if I could see Jordan's name. I did! It wasn't for the lead Ralphie, but the 2nd Ralphie. I had to scroll back up to see if I could read what this all meant! So, Jordan will preform in 25% of the shows, with the lead preforming in 75%. This is OK tho, Jordan made it! And he will not have to do all the shows and stress out about having more than one a day....he can ease into this I thought. Jordan was fitted for some of his costumes and then a parent meeting....there was a lot of information for us. And lots of work for us to do! It all added to the excitement! We don't know what shows are his yet, we will hopefully find this out soon, so that everyone can stop asking and be able to get their tickets...Very proud of Jordan and his accomplishment!

Jordan will kill me for putting this pic on, but it is his dads favorite part of the play he will be preforming in "A CHRISTMAS STORY"!

So far two very different boys with very different interrests....right....and then came Jacob!
Well Jacob is my mix of lil Korey and of Jordan! He loves the sports and he loves to perform! It is cute as him and Jordan work on a "show" for his mom and dad! Jacob is so into his roll! Jacob is in pre-school again, as his dad really wanted him home one more year. I feel like Jacob is REALLY ready for kindergarten, but I have to say, I am happy to have him for one more year! Jacob loves his class and his teachers! He has a best friend there, he is always talking about Carson! Carson loves superheros too, so they are well matched! Jacob will soon be 5 and he is excited about this. He is still trying to make his decision as to what he wants and it changes as he sees something new!

Jacob's first day of pre school!

Life is full of surprises for sure! While it doesn't always go as planned, and sometimes there is heartache and heartbreak....but what gets us all through is the love of your family and the love of our Lord! I know this first hand. I am grateful for my family, even if I don't always communicate this. And as much as I tell them they are driving me nuts (which they DO!) I still love them more than words can express. I try to provide them my time, and involvement with each of the different interests. Their father provides me this opportunity, and I know he is proud to be able to do this.

Family first!

Summer time update....

WOW, I really am a slacker, and my mom reminded me of that not too long ago when she saw I hadn’t updated my blog in a long time….so here it goes….
Summer is here…and with this brings 3 boys telling me how board they are….usually…but not this year. Little Korey, our 13 year old has started working. He works down the road at Kirby’s Farm Market. He has wanted to work there since he was 12, but he didn’t get down there in time. So, this year, we started earlier in the job attempt. Little Korey must have gone down to Kirby’s at least 6 times checking in on his application. He spoke to the younger Kirby son, who now runs the farm, and told him of the weeks that he needed off for NYLT Camp and Camp Massiwappi, both Boy Scout camps. (He was selected for the NYLY (New York Leadership Training) camp by his troops Scoutmaster.) He also told him that he could not work on Sundays; he attends Church with his family. The Kirby’s were impressed with little Korey, and his persistence with wanting to work there, and he finally was told to come down the following Saturday. Korey’s face was beaming when we walked out of the Market, coming towards the car. He was emotional by the time he got to the door, and he said he got the job, and had tears filling his eyes, we both left there with tears of joy….I was so proud of him, my heart swelled with pride. He said he didn’t know why he was crying he was just so excited to tell his dad and grandparents. We got home and called Grandma and Grandpa Donoghue and told them of his exciting news, and that he was excited for them to come and visit….they told him how proud they were too and excited to see him in a couple of weeks. He wanted to wait till his dad got home from work to share his good news. We were all so very proud of him!
Saturday came, and so did much rain…..I brought little Korey to work his first day, with a packed lunch with a note inside…another young man, 17 years old, took little Korey under his wing to show him the ropes. They were the first ones there. My poor baby came home all wet and muddy for the first full week of work, never complaining once….even coming home to do more service for an elderly family from Church….he really never made me more proud than that week.

The next week he was off to NYLT camp, this was hard for me, I had to leave him for a week off with a bunch of strangers….his dad always went to Scout camp with him, but this one was to teach these boys to be leaders on their own. And the day before lil Korey left, he found out that he was selected to by his Troops SPL, or Senior Patrol Leader. He was really going to put into place what he had learned at NYLT in his own Troop.

Back to work the next week after camp…..another week full of rain and muddy days….he said it is not too bad until the boxers get wet….wow, he is made of something here I thought. He is a tough guy! He showed me his hands, stained from hours of weeding…he said, “Mom, I washed my hands so many times and they won’t come clean! I am going to have hands like Grandpa!” I told him those were hands of a hard working man!
After this week, it was another week of Scout camp, this time his was “safe” with his dad….he had a tough time this year, none of his “friends” that he usually hung with were attending camp. He worked hard on his Merit badges, and his dad let him participate in COPE training, which is specifically for those over 14….but his dad felt sorry for him and signed him up anyway, and Korey LOVED it! He got to zip line from rope high above the ground. They did team building, and this helped him have a better time at camp. Korey came home with 4 merit badges signed off on, and another 2 that he worked on with the Church’s troop, a summer of hard work and 6 merit badges, have him well on his way to earning his Eagle by the time he is 16! More bragging by mom….sorry!
His first Check came while he was at his first camp….and he came home proud as a peacock with a check from work….$291 for one week of work. He told me he was taking me out to dinner, and I couldn’t tell him no, because he had it planned since he got the job. I could hardly believe his pay amount, I remember breaking the $200 mark, and I was NOT 13!


This may seem like a blog for Korey, but it is not….he is older and I have less time with him, in 4 years he will be on his way to college…..he is reaching different milestones than the other boys…..on to the next.

Jordan took swim this summer; he had 4 weeks of swimming, just in time, getting the cast off his arm 3 days before swim was to start. Jordan loved swimming, and is great at it. We are thinking of having him join the Seas swim team, the same team his cousin swam with.


Jordan had a Cub Scout family camp this last week. This meant I had to go camping. Now, I HATE camping, but I was able to stay in a cabin, and I survived. Jordan found and "produced" skits for the Cub's to preform for us at camp, as part of a requirement. He loves anything with acting, so this was right up his alley.



Big Korey found a boat that we were able to rent, and that made the weekend a blast. He came up to the camp and got Lori and I and said, “Let’s go, I got a boat, and we are going tubing!” So we left and had a blast with all the kids that we took!

Jacob is just the little one going with the flow….nothing really exciting for him, except that this was the first time going tubing. Paul DeGraff took him on the tube the first time, and he LOVED it….when I went on it with him, we ended up falling off, and in the split moment that he went under, all I could think of was to grab him before he sank….I KNEW he had a life vest on, but this is what my mind did in that moment, and I grabbed his jacked, pulled him into my arm and held on to the tube with the other. Now, he was crying and scared…heck I was scared for him at that one moment….but we told him he needed to get back on and try it again, and he did and loved it all over again…..giving the thumbs up to his dad when he wanted to go faster or the thumbs down if he wanted to go slower….he was a professional tuber by the time we got off.


Thanks to Big Korey, he really made that Cub Scout weekend a fun memory! He knows how to have fun, not always the way I would want but he can show everyone a good time!


I also had my high school reunion that me and a few others organized....it was GREAT fun in the planning and the actual reunion was a blast! I had a great time with this crew and look forward to doing more reunions together! We had so many people tell us what a great time it was! That was the reward all in itself!

There were a few more people that helped, they were not around for this photo op!

(Me, Patrenia, Robbie and Debbie)

Me and Korey...(it was hot in there, so my hair is a little flat...lol)

Summer is not over yet…..and the summer temps have just begun, we will see how much more we can cram into a few short weeks before school starts and Lil Korey will be in 9th grade, Jordan will be a 5th grader….and Jacob will be home one more year with me. Looking forward to September in a way....

WOW, am I a SLACKER or WHAT?

My last post in January I am sure had me VERY busy with getting all of the plans for Korey's surprise 40th birthday party finalized. I was SOOO very excited about this party and how Korey would forever remember this great bash! I knew that our best man Ray coming from North Carolina and my old roommate and great friend Brenda coming in from Texas would add that additional element of surprise to Korey, a sort of ONE, TWO punch! So this is my excuse for not updating prior to now, five months later! Crazy. So, I guess, first things first, and I will write about the event that took months of planning....the big party. I had so many things to get done, I was making a movie of Korey's life, which I must say I think turned out pretty darn good! I made a CD of 80's music (It was an 80's themed party.) and this for some reason took me a lot of time, going thru CD after CD and listening and remembering where those songs took me. Jacob and I sat a lot at this computer playing all the different songs...one that he really liked was "Can't Touch This", he heard it in a music card and fell in love with it....and when I played it on the computer, he loved it and we got distracted and danced, think running man...and then try to get the image of me and Jacob doing it out of your mind, it was not pretty as Lil Korey and Jordan would affirm. ANYWAY, this CD took lots of time to compile the 20 PERFECT songs that represented well, what I guess I remember from the 80's....

All of this HAD to be done with out Korey knowing, all of the secrets, all of the lies...or fibs...all for the good of this BASH of a life time.

Oh the good times I had on FACEBOOK, talking with old college friends (there were more planning to make the trip, but in the end could not.) and friends helping with menu ideas, songs and the such. I posted many college pics on Facebook and what a great time we had laughing at the "old days" of these pictures and making fun of Korey and he was clueless sitting on his side of the couch completely clueless....wondering what I was laughing at and I would usually say, oh what Tamara posted on Facebook...and then he would say I am spending too much time on the laptop he got me the year before for Christmas....oh, if he only knew really the time I was spending on here re-searching, and looking and deciding on all the perfect party stuff. Oh the days of spending hours scanning old photos, and seeing he was soon to be home and rush around to make it appear as I had actually accomplished something. I scanned sooo many photos one day, at least 100 and I had to run to the school, and when I came back, my lap top was off and when I plugged it back in to re-charge the battery I had lost a WHOLE day of scanning, I was ready to scream and cry....but it was ALL worth it.

My birthday is a week before his, exactly....and I have some pretty darn good friends. For my birthday my friend Kelly decided to contact some of my other friends and some family and see if they wanted to all pitch in for a DJ with Karaoke for Korey's party for my birthday gift. She knew that I was stressing about the music and also needing a karaoke machine for the party, so she it the nail right on the head with that WONDERFUL gift...I could NOT have asked for a better present. So, CHECK, music covered! By a professional to boot! Then came Korey's REAL birthday, and my mom and dad happened to be here for a friend in hospice care and another friend whose child was VERY sick and decided they HAD to make the trip to NY. I am sad that they could not have been here for the surprise party, but we had a "fake" surprise party for him and invited some friends over to fool him, that this was it. He had a good time at this party, and the whole time, I kept thinking about the one that was 2 weeks away and our friends coming in from out of town. My excitement was ready to BUST out of me!




The real birthday, but the "fake" party....

The week of the party, Tamara and her kids made the trip from Detroit to NY to help me get ready for the party...all the time, Korey thinking that they were just here for Winter Break and for Korey to take the kids ice fishing. It was great. Sista D, AKA Linda DeGraff and her hubby were another GREAT help that week, helping to keep Korey occupied, since he had days off right in the middle of the week, when I was trying to get things finalized for this party. The day of the party came and with some minor things going wrong we were on our way for this big day to get underway....my niece Hilary, another BIG help came out early and was kitchen help cleaning enough chicken to last her a life time, chopping and cutting and picking up kids and delivering kids...it was great! Things were falling into place, with the DeGraff's help in decorating and babysitting we were in good shape. Next was Nadine, another blessing that day doing some extra running around in addition to making all of her famous Bacon Potato Salad. (And I don't want to forget to thank Jane Bauch for making the baked beans too, I HEARD they were great...I didn't get any, I was too stressed to eat.) WOW, if this is turning into thank yous I owe more than what I mentioned...also Merea who jumped in when really needed into the kitchen....and the again the Vannans for doing some running around and cleaning up....

Anyway...back to the party....Patrenia's daughter was the reason for this "award ceremony", which is what Korey thought he was coming for. (Thanks to Patrenia too for helping with the pretend award night invite and covering all the lies.) They were stationed at the door, waiting for him to come in and see her in her brownies uniform...and when just before he walked in a wave of emotion rushed over me, and I was just ready to cry, well a few tears filled the eyes as I tried to blink them away I was so excited to see him come in and really be taken by surprise! And SURPRISED he was! He didn't quite get it until he started to focus on all the people and see that these are all people that he actually knew! I did it! I surprised him after all of these months of secrets! WOW, what a relief!

I have to say that this was such a blast....and again with out my friends who jumped in at the actual party to re-fill food and clean I would not have been able to enjoy myself!

This cake was supposed to represent 80's colors and it looks better than when I first went to pick it up, I had them add some of the other colors, they did not get what I meant I guess when I was trying to explain what I wanted with this cake.




Tamara cutting the cake, among all the other things she did to help! She is GREAT kitchen help! :)



Kelly doing Karaoke and Jordan waiting to do it...again thanks to Kelly for contacting my family and friends to gift this to me for the party! It was a BLAST!

The weekend was FULL of fun for us, because the party was not over just because we left the party hall....we brought part of the surprise home with us, Brenda and Ray! We stayed up so late talking and laughing the whole weekend. Watching old videos of us during college days...making fun of ourselves or each other! Wrestling around with the kids. It really did feel like old times. We had a BLAST! I am so thankful to their families for allowing them to come and celebrate Korey's 40th birthday with us. They can't possibly know what it really meant to the two of us! We love you all!



Ray and little Korey taking the Birthday boy down...




Brenda and Jacob having left over pop rocks from the surprise party....




Bren, Ray and Korey visiting sites, in the COLD, enduring the COLD when they are from WARM states...they are true friends to make a February trip!

New Traditions for Christmas....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This holiday season was much different for me than of every year past. This was the first holiday season with out my parents around. (Except for when I was at Ricks.) It was a different vibe around here, getting everything planned with Lori instead of mom for the new way Christmas Eve would be held....but all in all it was a great night. Most every one in the family came, we did miss a couple and we were sad...but it was their decisions.
We had 22 people here that evening, it was a house full of family and some friends too. It was great food, family and fun! (and thanks Lori for making your best crinkle cookies ever!!) We were going to play games, but the night passed by really fast. We did record a song for mom and dad in TN, it may not have been pretty, but we had fun gathering around and singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did recording!






I decided I would do a short Christmas message for this was the reason for the gathering. I think it went well, it was a lesson I did for my YW. I gave all my siblings families a white stocking to put their gift to our Savior in. It would be something that we wanted to improve in our life, maybe be more forgiving, or to do more service, it would be a gift of the heart. The next year, you would pull out the paper that you wrote the previous year and re-read what your gift was to the Savior....I wanted to start a new tradition...lets see how that works.



Another first for us, was this was Korey's first Christmas morning that he was at work. Getting the day shift his MANY positives, more positives than negatives, but holidays will pay the price with Korey being with us. So our traditional Christmas brunch had a different vibe. We still invited the missionaries over and had a good time, but I felt sad at the same time. Talk to Korey about this and he will tell you a different point of view. He is so grateful for the shift that he works now, he is willing to sacrifice those holidays that he will not be around.
Christmas morning of course is not early around here at all. My boys NEVER wake up early. They are up all night and sleep all day kind of boys! All of them. In fact lil Korey and Jordan got up before Jacob and they went in and told him that Santa had come. He sat straight up and said, "oh yeah". Up they came, we had to do re-take of the photo because my camera was not ready.



They opened their stockings and then moved onto the gifts. Jacob was really excited to get his own hand held game system, he had been asking for a DS but I told him he had to show me he would be responsible so he got a Game Boy Advance SP and some games for that....and a couple of games for the Wii...he was really happy about those...but when he opened his crayon, coloring pencil activity kit, he was like, oh.....ok....and put it down, I wanted to capture that on camera...it was priceless....The older two boys got the PSP's that they wanted with a couple of games and a movie for it. Pretty much that was it. Easy shopping! They were VERY grateful for their gifts and kept saying how thankful they were....that made me happy that they showed such gratitude.





Korey and I exchanged stockings when he got home....typical stuff in them....we are saving money so we did not exchange gifts. He thought it was because we were going to TN to see mom and dad, but I really wanted to save for his surprise!
Christmas was a long day....I started to prepare dinner, but Korey insisted when he got home not to worry about it with having TONS of left overs from the Christmas Eve party. I could hardly keep my eyes open with having 3 hours of sleep because of my niece Michelle kept me up all night talking about her wonderful Anatomy teacher, and dead people and all sorts for things....so by evening I was falling asleep in the chair and was willing to go to bed before the kids and suffer the consequences of the messy house in the morning. And suffer I did....but I am TRYING to learn not to sweat the small stuff....
I am grateful for my family and my husband who is willing to go out and work holidays. To put himself in harms way for us daily and act as if it is no big deal. (I have such a crazy story of a woman on Christmas Day who rammed his police car, head on, intentionally....but that is a different post sometime.) I love my hero that wears a badge!

Thanksgiving and Anniversary?

Well, I am behind the times by 3 weeks, but Happy Thanksgiving...and Happy Anniversary to me 15 years. So, this was the year that our Anniversary and Thanksgiving landed on the same day. It is so hard to believe that 15 years has come and gone already. It was also the first Thanksgiving that my parents spent in Tennessee away from the family. I filled my home with some family and LOTS of friends. We had the DeGraffs, the Vannans, and the Howards came all the way from their new home in Michigan. What great fun we had with the Howards here visiting us. We had such good times. Late nights, early mornings...back to our guest list...and few of the men in black, aka the Elders. It was lots of fun. Korey really praised my meal and the whole holiday. I braised our turkey for the first time, and while it was really easy to do, I was worried that it was too easy to prepare to turn out as juicy as my recipe claimed. But, Korey said that it was the BEST turkey EVER. I was so proud of my self. Tamara made some rockin gravy with the drippings.Our Anniversary kind of took the back burner, but that was ok because we were truly thankful that we had so many loved ones around us. We missed my parents greatly and even though they were not with us in body they were with us in spirit.
The only real recognition of the anniversary was the post that I put into the Democrat and Chronicle, the city paper...it was cute telling Korey that he would be MY turkey today, tomorrow and forever and for always. Getting him to see it in the paper took a little help from friends. Our friend Jim Vannan did a ride along with him in the police car, and told a little lie about needing the news paper for coupons or something...and started reading it and said, hey listen to what this ad says....and Korey did not believe him....but it was true.

This post is a delayed post, as this was written shortly after Taylers death in November...


So, it has been a really long time since I have posted to my blog, and I am sorry I have slacked off...but I have get back on that blogging horse again...that said, on to my post....

Recently we have had a great loss in our family. A beautiful little angel returned to live with her Heavenly Father just shy of 2 years old. Korey's baby sister Noelle and her husband Rich lost their little baby last week.

She did have a terminal illness, Leigh's Disease, but this was a shock at the timing of her death. All things considered, and feeding tube aside, she was not showing signs that her time here on earth was coming to an end...Rich woke up and checked on his little girl to find her already gone...the regrets started immediately, should have cuddled her longer that night, those sort of things that will eat away at a parent that just lost their baby. The call came at 3 AM, and we know that nothing good happens at 3 AM usually. The news was shocking to us to say the least. We had been planning Christmas gifts for the kids exchange to be held soon. Plans for the Christmas dinner were finished. We would spend it with Noelle and Rich so they would not have to travel with Tayler. The trip would now be made early for a very different gathering. An overwhelming feeling of sadness and sorrow kept us awake, and we found our selves kissing and hugging on our baby of the family, who was sleeping in our bed. All of our kisses woke him and then the searching for special photos started. With all 3 of us remembering our last encounter with Tayler at the end of August. It was a great visit, one that we will be forever grateful that we made. I never fell back to sleep that night. My heart was just completely broken for my sister and brother in law...I hoped I would never have to know exactly what they feel. We did not tell the boys before they went to school that morning. It was a day of preparing to leave getting the Durango fixed, bags packed....and wondering how the boys would take another loss of a loved one, the 4th one in 2 years. I had never had so many losses until my adult life.

That evening we gathered the boys and broke the news. It was just heart breaking to see them. Jordan's was probably the most touching to me, because he felt the same way I did. He just broke out in tears immediately, crying out...."not again, I can't do this mom, I can't see her like that, she is too little to see her in a casket!" Oh, my poor baby was feeling the same feelings that I was, I wanted to take away the pain that he was feeling.We had planned to attend the musical "Footloose" at the high school, but I decided I needed to finish the packing and planning for the trip so we sent the older boys to the musical with their cousin. While I planned and prepared for the trip, Korey rested and tried to forget and not think about it.The trip went well, as well as we could have expected for a trip as this....the baby looked like a doll. The boys mourned. They are strong in our faith and know that we will see her again someday. She will be ready to welcome us home one by one one day. No longer weak, but strong, and I envision her running to her family members excited to see us all together again. Jordan was asked the night before the funeral to sing at the end. He had done this a few other times, singing Amazing Grace...the first time at his great grandma's, when he was 3. He sang it last as his grandpa's funeral. Taylers parents wanted him to sing it there. He was nervous, and I told him he could do this. He would be able to get through it. He was scared when he saw the number of people there, but he took that great big breath in, held it for a minute, and then sweet music escaped his mouth. He sang it so beautifully, I was so proud of him getting though that, doing it for Tayler and her parents. I am grateful for my family and the health of my boys. I am grateful for the knowledge that one day I will be able to see Tayler again, I am grateful for the many blessings that I have, and for the trials in my life. For my trials, I am promised, I will be able to bear, I trust in the Lord that he will hold true to that promise. I am grateful for getting the chance to see my parents for a day and a half after the service for Tayler. I am grateful that my husband sacrificed his 2 days off after the service for me to see my parents....when he could have been hunting. Something that he has been preparing for since the beginning of the fall.

I have a lot to be grateful for!

Not funny....to me!!

So most of you that know me, probably know that I am NOT into funky things....and I really don't think that I am that ridiculous when it comes to the things that Korey does, but my Big Korey tends to think so! I tend to get a bit tense about how things are done this time of the year, yeah, tense and frustrated....this blog is about that part of Big Korey's life that I REALLY want nothing to do with, HUNTING. He reminds me and others often of the fact that I went hunting with him BEFORE we were married...and fishing....and that I tricked him. Well, these are partial truths. I went hunting with him ONCE. We were in Idaho, and he wanted me to go Sage Hen?? hunting with him. So, I had never gone hunting before, and did not know what I was in for, but I agreed to go with him and his friend. I did not enjoy my first experience, not at all...and he should have realized that this was going to be a short lived joint activity for the two of us....with the tears that fell for the sage hen that I shot out of the sky and fell hard to the ground with a hollow thud. Those tears really should have been a good indicator, but then when I stated that I am never doing that again, well....that would be the end all to the debate in my mind. But for some reason, in a man fashion, he did not get it.
So, anyway, I HATE hunting season. I hate all that comes with it. Not just the funky animals that hang from various parts of the property, or their skins that are not allowed to hang from the living areas of the house...or the mess they leave with their boots, hats, gloves, clothing...or the tearing out of all the totes their supplies and leaving them out...these are just SOME of the reasons that I hate hunting season. We got married in the height of hunting season, something that he wishes yearly that someone would have warned him not to do. NEVER GET MARRIED DURING HUNTING SEASON. I would have to agree. Because by the time our anniversary hits, I hate him. Plain and simply put...a bit harsh, maybe. But first it was just shot gun season, then it evolved into bow season, which makes for more time prior to our anniversary to add to that frustration of the whole hunting mess it brings. So, recently it has been even prior to the deer season that I am now REALLY tired and irritated by hunting. The biggest mistake 2 young men made last week was to lie to me. To trick me. I trusted them, that they would not pull such a stunt. What could they possibly have done you ask? They brought over "Chicken Stew" that they made themselves. I believed them, and even tho I did not want to taste what these two young men made, with the coaxing from Big Korey (that should have been a warning flag to me, I know!) I tasted their stew. I felt that the base of the stew was OK, but that the "chicken" was stringy, and I could not stand it. But I praised them anyway. That is until I found out that this chicken was really SQUIRREL!!! Yes, you read it right, that they LIED and fed me SQUIRREL! What is probably most amusing to you all is that you know I am SO NOT INTO FUNKY FOODS!! Give me a Sheppard's pie and I am good. Tuna casserole, yup, I'll eat it...but you serve me some rodent, and I am going to freak. And freak is what I did. Just ask these two young men, well if you can find their bodies!! How DARE they!!

Korey felt that I got him back the other night by putting part of a pie in his face, it was basically just the cool whip top with a cherry that actually was rubbed into his face. He and his accomplices were laughing and carrying on about the stunt that they had pulled the previous week, I just could not take it anymore with out doing something. But if he feels that some COOL WHIP is the same as feeding someone squirrel, then boy is he wrong. He feels that I got him back and that I am being silly about the squirrel meat. I let him know that I am not the only one that would think this is just gross, and I am not the only one that would never eat it (unless tricked). So, we had to make calls, he picked the woman to call and verify what I knew, and he just could not face. I was right and he was wrong...but I have to say that it is my very favorite Sista D that said, "Well, if little Korey went to all the trouble of preparing it for me, that would be the only reason I would taste it." I assured her that I would never let him do that to her, and she thanked me. (But, boy she is a better person than I am, because pulling the "your son made this" would NOT work with rodents!)

And Korey, are you serious? You have to live with me...he best be afraid, VERY afraid, for this is not over, not at all.


So, I end this with my title, that it was NOT FUNNY, at least not to me.

As a side note, when you see me, you really don't need to make the comments that I have heard already...."feeling squirrely today?"....."Hey Rocky"....and the such. No, just don't.

Football Season....

So, I am really pretty new at the whole foot ball mom thing. I am not really one to go and just start talking to the person next to me and really I don't like going alone....but I do what I gotta do and sit there and keep to myself pretty much. So, today was lil Korey's first "real" game. I am glad that they are calling it the first "real" game because the first "fake" game was just plain embarrassing!! They were the bad news bears of football. It was just bad. Big Korey was with me at that one, and we had a good time making jokes, yes, at our teams, or sons expense. It helped pass the time. It was like a tee ball game, and watching the boys pick the daises out there. BORING! You see the pic below, it was more fun to take pics of Jacob with the players behind him.



So, I have to say the best part was Big Korey and I spending the time together, making jokes at their expense...we really had some great ones. I was just on that day, one good one after another. (Side note here: Korey had gotten into an accident that day with the police car, and he was in a bad mood, or sad mood, but since he is always telling me that the is a professional driver when I think he is driving like a nut, I took this opportunity to really let him have it, not mean mind you, just "good ones". So, our friend that was supposed to do a ride along with him, well, I told him it may just actually be a walk along, because they took away his police car.) Now, back to the game....so lil Korey really is embarrassed by us. I guess this happens around this time in a teens life. No matter how cool we know we actually are or how many times we tell him how cool we are, we are just an embarrassment. So, we know that lil K talks a lot of "smack" or junk what ever todays lingo may be. He thinks that he is all that and a bag of chips (these sort of one liners is the reason he is embarrassed by us.)Well, the truth is, right now he is just the crumbs at the bottom of the bag. So we waved to him, ya know we wanted him to know we were there to root his team on. He could hardly wave back!! Like he was too embarrassed to wave to US? So, I said, "he is embarrassed? Heck I don't want to even acknowledge that he is even my son at this point...." OK, you really had to be there, because Big K and I were laughing and laughing, and really going on and on to each other at how funny we were. It was knee slapping funny! So, I guess, we are supposed to be the grown adults here rooting on our wonderful son, and he is, just not at football...we digressed back to our high school days and it was fun.
Now, today's game was a whole other story. They actually looked like a team PLAYING football! What a few days makes! Korey was out there, and not looking like an oompa loompa thinking about doing his job on the field, he did his job. And he did it well. I just wish I would have had my camera fixed so I can get action shots again....just as long as they keep the action coming.

(I am a good mom, right, even if I like to make fun of my son, in a loving way of course.)

First Day of Pre-school....

This was Jacob's first week of pre-school. The first day was only an orientation day, so the kids played and got to know the teachers and each other a bit as the parents had a meeting with the board. I was really surprised that Jacob acted a bit shy, was a little unsure. There are probably 5 kids that he knows, 3 that he knows really well from Church. After a bit, he relaxed a bit and started to play. When it was time for pickup Jacob was upset he did not get to use any of his school supplies. The teacher promised he would use some the next time. He felt better about it. :) Korey could not attend that first orientation day of school due to a murder trial he had to testify at, for the second time...anyway he took today off from work to be there. Jacob walked in, hung his back pack and put on his name tag...he was all set to start his day. He went in, I told him I loved him gave him a kiss, did my thing and off he was....off to play, with out a second thought about his dad. Korey thought, "I took a day off for this? He did not even say good bye?!!"
Jacob had a great time....he is excited about school. He is also excited about going to Aunt Lori's on Monday when mommy goes back to work, part time. That is a whole different blog...To be cont...

This picture was from today, he had a great time!

Last day of summer....First day of school....

Some parents may be a little sad when their kids start school. I have to say I was not. I love my kids, but with lil Korey turning into a teenager (GASP), Jordan having the middle child syndrome and Jacob wanting to get in on all the action, or start some of his own, I had a rough summer at first. It was hard to get into the swing of things. In the end....I realized that the summer went by fast. Before I know it they will all be grown and out of the house. So, anyway...last day of summer break, we spent the whole day at Six Flags Darien Lake. We went with Lori and her kids (sister). Korey actually ended up having the day off, but oh shoot....no room for him to ride...he was so sad! (NOT!) He went fishing! I have to say what a trooper Jacob was this day. They said that they were short staffed, so the little ones in the kiddie ride area , get the short end of the stick. There were only a few rides that were open, he rode 3 rides the whole day and did not complain at all! He loved the bumper cars. It was his first time he could actually go on and drive. Just tall enough. I am sharing the video cause watching him go round and round in circles was soooo funny! When he finally made it out of his own circle and he bumped someone, he was so EXCITED!


Tell me what you think of that video, I could not stop laughing!

Then off to the water park and the kids had a great time. Did the old fashion photo again of course and you will see that with the Christmas card. One last stop at the Super Man, but he had tears, Jordan is still to short! So off to the swings, and we all left happy. The kids actually started school the next day! We never start the day after Labor Day, but this was the schedule this year, so a stop home at Walmart for some last minute stuff and rush home to get a ice cream treat for the SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW celebration, I may have been the only one celebrating that fact, but they enjoyed their ice cream cone, then their Fathers Blessing from daddy. (Yeah, he finally made it home from the fishing trip in time for 9 PM blessings.) No one could fall to sleep...and morning came early. I had all back packs packed and ready to go! Little Korey was not so keen on me taking his picture, so I took it from the door so no one would see a THIRTEEN year old boy get his picture taken before school!


Jordan was all about the picture, at least at home.


Jacob had to get in on the action, his first day of pre-school is not until next week...that will be all its own blog...(sniff, sniff)



But the next photo speaks a thousand words. (Well, the picture I thought I had was the one with his face covered with his back pack as he got off the bus.) So, yeah, I was the only parent that met the busses at the school to capture that moment of Jordan walking off the bus at his new school...it is a change of school when in 4th grade here. I didn't get that memo that said parents don't do that anymore! Jordan told me in that sweet way that has the hint of scarcism..."yeah, mom...it was cute before, but not so much now!" I was the only parent in the hall following all the kids cram into the small doors like lab mice trying to get the prize first. (little did I know that at the office doors they were not allowing parents into the school with the kids, and there was quite a stir about it with many of the parents, but I was in and not one person said anything to me about it. I think I have that "don't mess with me and my child going to a new school and not knowing where he had to go" look. Like the other 100's of students did not have the same situation happening...but you know I am the one that made it in.)


So, yeah, he got a little razzing...from our neighbor standing in the pic too, who happens to be in his class too...so I took pics of him too, so Jordan was not the only one getting his pic taken.

We all made it through the first day of school, with out any problems...oh wait, lil Korey did decide to ride his 4 wheeler that evening, and rolled it! Big Korey thought he may have seperated his shoulder. So, off to the ER and they requested x-rays...it was a long night, and lil Korey did not get to bed until 11 PM. And he is fine, just bruised his shoulder, back and chest. All is well!

The End before the Beginning....

So, we just got back last night from a week of traveling. Our end of the summer trip, just before school starts again. Off we went, almost exactly as planned after Korey got out of work. We drove straight through to Louisville, KY to see his baby sister, Noelle and her family. Noelle's little girl has Leigh's disease, so I really felt it important to go and see them on our way down to Tennessee. Korey was a bit nervous, not wanting to see Taylor sick. We had a blast with them. I am so glad that we made this our first stop.




Our next leg of the trip was to visit Covie's brother. Covie is a "grandpa" figure to us. He passed away in January. Before he passed away, he told us how much his brother wanted to meet us. We told Covie we would visit him. We kept our promise and were able to visit and had a great time with him.



The final leg of our trip....2 more hours of driving to mom and dad's or "grandma and grandpa's". We got there late, but of course we stayed up later talking to mom and dad. Finally off to bed.....for a good nights sleep. We had a lot of fun while there. We went to Cades Cove...missed seeing the bears at least 2 times, by just minutes. The boys were disappointed. But we did see lots of deer and turkey. (Not just the turkeys I was travelling with....couldn't resist.) We also went to Gatlinburg, walked around, ate, took the ski lift up to the top and what a great view it was. Korey does not like heights, but he took it like a man, sucked it up and seemed to be having a good time.




On little Korey's 13th birthday we went horse back riding and into a cavern. It was a blast riding through a trail and then on the mountain. The cavern we walked in after the ride was the mountain that we rode on. It was really fun to do this as a family together. I knew that big Korey would like the cavern lots as well as little Korey. When we got back to grandma's and grandpa's we went out to dinner to celebrate lil Korey's birthday and had ice cream cake to top it off. We also went to Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. We went to the Nascar Speedpark. There my competitiveness came out and I was racing to win, no matter who I was racing against. I had to teach my newly 13 year old son, that I could kick is butt. Friend or foe, I was out to win. It was a blast. Racing against the boys and grandpa. I may not have "won" every time, but I was a TOUGH competitor. There were these other teens that were racing to win, and this was probably my favorite part of the day...seeing big Korey's face every time I would pass by him watching me race, him laughing cause I had 2 boys on my tail the entire time, trying to get past....they had faster cars than I did, but I out maneuvered them. Not allowing them to get pass me. Looking to my left, and quick to my right....trying to know their move before they did...oh, what a rush and what a blast! Korey could not believe that I would not just let them pass me. Had he not learned anything in nearly the 15 years we have been married. I am competitive. Yes, you may say that it is immature for an adult to go for blood on the track with a bunch of teens, but I wanted to let them know, I may be getting old, but not to count me out~ yes, Korey would have let them by eventually. I was going to,really I was, but then at the last minute, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. I came in first, and then I retired. We all left that track laughing so hard, little Korey, proud of his mom for beating those boys. Giving me a high five, Jacob and Jordan waiting for me with the same high five of approval....that is how we roll. All for one, one for all. (Well, big Korey shook his head, laughing, but I knew what he was thinking.)


We had lots of fun with each other, and loved being at grandma's and grandpa's. It was sad to leave them, sadder to know it would be a while before we could see them again.

Typical Me....

So, yeah...this is why I am not good at the typical journal writing...I don't update my journal in real life. Lets see if I get this one posted....my last one is lost in my drafts.
Saturday Korey started days....wow, this is going to be great! We will have more opportunities to spend time together as a family! The down side, is that he misses Church. He will only be able to attend on his rotation, since it is 4 days on, 2 days off....he will be off 1 to 2 times a month. Since he is on a new shift, a new platoon, he had to wait to request time off. We have been wanting to go to Tennessee to see mom and dad, and go as a complete family this time. I am excited to show the two Korey's everything that Tennessee has to offer us, there is so much to do there. So, now Korey has to work the OT baby (over time) to earn us some extra cash for the trip. He has not been able to work OT or the security job in 8 months, due to his foot surgery. Almost three years ago he was shopping at a Home Depot type home improvement store. He was buying sheet rock, and the person loading the truck, on the fork truck, dropped the forks down, and one of them right on Korey's foot. Long story short, this nearly completely severed his tendon in his foot. So, after a couple of years, and having the severe pain, they opted to do surgery on the foot to try to clean up the scar tissue on the tendon. He has not had on his police boots in 8 months, when he was on light duty he wore sandals. So, Saturday evening when he returned home from his first day on he was icing his foot. I worry about the long lasting problems he will have especially with the job he has.
Day 2 on the job, today, he was so excited to call home saying he was going to be late because he "just got a gun off the street, baby!!" So he was feeling the rush of the job again, pain in the foot and all.

Below are a couple of pics from a "Night Out" with the fire and police departments in Brockport. They don't relate to this post so much, but they are in a jail cell....so I tried to relate it to the post a little. They better NEVER find themselves in there with the door shut! (And yes, they all need hair cuts, but I am waiting a little closer to school to start....)
This one below was too cool to be in there with his brothers.....so he did it alone! He was too cool for everything....

Above are Jordan and Jacob with the 911 fox....forget what his real name is....