Old Friends and New Life

So my Best Friend from High School called me last week and said she was coming to visit this weekend. I was so excited. Tara just had a little boy. Brayden Christopher. I hadn't met her newest addition yet. For that fact I hadn't seen Tara and her new Husband Zach since her wedding weekend in August.

Tara's brother lives out here in Arizona so they were staying with him. He is a cop and works nights so Jer and I were going to head over late Friday night to hangout by his pool and see Tara and her family. It ended up being too cold and too late so we decided to wait until Saturday.
After my busy day with Rylee and Taylor. Tara and her son (that's weird.. her son) came over for about an hour and had dinner with us. Zach was on a ride along with Warren, Tara's brother. Brayden is just adorable. It was so great to finally meet him. I was a little sad it took so long. Tara was there with Taylor through everything with me.

Sunday after church we headed down to Warrens house to BBQ and swim. It ended up being to cold for the adults to swim. But, you know the kids. They don't care. Diesel just loved it. Poor thing was shivering and stiff as a rock but refused to get out. The girls had a lot of fun too. It was really nice to too some old friends again!

Rylee, Taylor, Diesel and Baby Brayden (12 weeks)

My Stars

Well I finally decided to have Taylor try out for Club Soccer. She LOVES playing and is very serious about it. The sooner I get her into the "competitive" league the sooner she will really learn the skills.

She had her 1st try out today. She will have 3 more over the next few months. Starting on Monday she will be in a soccer skills camp. The trainers are putting it on. It will be Monday -Thursday 2 hours a day for a month. I am so excited about it. She is going to learn so much!

The Club league known as Excel is a great program. It's one of the best in our area. If she makes the team she will practice 2 nights a week for 2 hours and then have games on the weekends. She will play in tournaments and we will have to travel. She will also have time with the trainers. It's very exciting new chapter in our life. Another great thing is it is still through our church so they keep with the Christan values which is very important to me. I will keep you all posted on what may come!

Also tonight I got an email from Rylee's Piano program. She will have her 1st ever recital. It will be on May 24th in the evening. The piece she will be playing is "The Banjo Player" My Grandparents are going to be here for a week long visit so I am so excited they will be able to see it. I also talked with my mom tonight and her, my dad and Sam will be here as well. My mom may even stay a few extra days while my dad and Sam go home on Monday. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed) Rylee has been taking lessons for about 2.5 months now. She goes every Wednesday for 30 minutes. They are individual lessons and she seems to be doing good. Plus she really likes it.

Kids say the funniest things

So I was on the computer this morning. Same thing I do every day. Check my mail and all my sites. The kids were watching TV. It was about 8am so the cartoons were still on Disney Chanel. Mickey Mouse Club House came one. (it's a Mickey Learning Cartoon) Out of no where Taylor comes over to me and says

"Mom back in your day when you were little there probably wasn't any TV or color. Then she asked me if Mickey Mouse was around when I was little?"

I mean Mickey has been around forever! haha... How old does she think I am! I was holding my laughter in but it was like having my own personal mini comedian.

I should have told her about the stuff that I really didn't have when I was her age like DVDs, MP3 , Internet, I remember when CD's came out.

It's too funny she's asking me the same questions that we asked our parents or grandparents.

Go! Fight! Win!

So Rylee's Cheer season is officially over. Friday night we her last game. Today she had an awards party and a performance. It was very cute. She even got a trophy. She had a lot of fun and I made friends with her coaches. So that is cool, they are even on my 3-Day team. I am very excited.

Friday night I took theses videos and this picture. I hope you enjoy my little Star!

Easter

Easter was very nice this year. Diesel hadn't had a nap the day before and went to bed at 7pm. He didn't get up until almost 9:30am. My poor girls had to wait for him to wake up. They did good but were very impatient.

First the kids found their Easter Baskets left by the Easter Bunny.

Taylor was very excited to get a new Webkinzs. Meet Snowflake the seal.

Diesel discovered the eggs had candy in them and that's all he really cared about.

Then the race was on to see who could find the most eggs.

Diesel had so much fun looking for them. If he saw one that same time that the girls did but the girls got it first he would get mad and say Mine. I would have to re-direct him to a new area with more un-found eggs.

Rylee had lots of fun racing against Taylor

In the end I am pretty Sure Taylor had the most but Rylee was pretty close.

Diesel was actually really good at finding them on his own. It was so cute.

Aren't their new Easter Baskets just so cute! I think that Grandma Nae-Nae helped the Easter Bunny this year

Diesel and Daddy were playing around and Diesel discovered a new hat.

After the egg hunt and the basket goodies the girls and I headed to the Easter Service at church. It was so great. For the rest of the day we lounged and relaxed. It was a Great family day. But I do miss Easter's back in Cali with my cousins.

2 Danielles

So one of Jer's and My Best Friends flew in for a visit with her Daughter. Danielle and Lexi arrived on Tuesday and flew home on Friday. It was so great to see them both. It had almost been 2 years. Danielle lived with Jer and I off and on in San Diego for about 3 years. We met when Rylee was just 4 months old. We have all been thought a lot together and we think of her as a little sister. Lexi, Danielle's daughter, is just a few months younger then Diesel. So we were very excited about the visit.

I picked them up from the Airport Tuesday at 11am. We were all ready for lunch so we stopped at Cabela's on the way home. Cabela's is like a Bass Pro Shop and we thought the kids would enjoy it. We ate lunch in their cafe and then let the little ones see all the fun stuff. We looked at the fish aquariums, the huge waterfall with stuffed (dead and stuffed) animals as well as another area full of stuffed animals. Diesel and Lexi really liked it. I hadn't planned on the stop so I didn't have my camera. After Cabela's we went to get the girls from school. They both didn't recognize Danielle at first. They both did a double take then were so excited. It was so cute!

Wednesday I had some Easter shopping to do. We ran to a few stores then headed to Chick-fil-A for lunch. Wednesday's they have kids eat free and a play area. So we took advantage of that. They both had fun and even enjoyed the balloons they got on the way out. I tried to get a picture of the two of them together but they wouldn't cooperate with me.
Diesel was so proud of himself after he discovered the slide. That was all he wanted to do the rest of the time there.

After Chick-fil-A I dropped Danielle and the little ones off. The little ones took a nap and I went to get Rylee and bring her to Piano. After Piano and the naps the kids played outside. I bought them bubbles and they enjoyed that and the Power Wheels.

Rylee of course Rylee went crazy with the camera and she or Taylor took all of these pictures.

Danielle and Taylor

Bubble time. They were such a big hit.

Pow-Pow-Power Wheels!

Thursday Jeremy took off work . We had stayed up pretty late the night before so we were all really tired. For lunch we headed to Peter Piper Pizza. It's like Chuck E. Cheese. They have a really good lunch buffet. Diesel and Lexi had a lot of fun and I think Daddy did too. Again I forgot my camera but later in the day we did take this one.

Friday morning we headed to The World Wildlife Zoo. They just opened the new Aquarium. I was able to get a buy 1 get 1 free ticket from a friend and we had lots of fun. Diesel and Lexi fought pretty much the whole visit but at the zoo they were so cute and nice wtih each other!

Diesel Showing Lexi the fishies

Lexi Showing Diesel the turtles over head.

Isn't he just so cute!

Diesel showing Lexi the Penguins. So Sweet

Diesel checking out the monkeys

We were in the small mammal exhibit and it smelt so bad. Diesel didn't like it and he was letting us know. It was so funny to see him react like this.

Feeding the Duckies. They loved this

It thought he was going to fall in

Aren't the babies just to precious!

On the "Choo-Choo" train ride. This is a really cool ride. You are in with the animals. I was scared the ostrich was going to attack us.

We had to get back to life in time for us to pick the girls up from school. After the train ride we had about 30 minutes and we decided to let the little ones play on the play ground. They enjoyed getting all that extra energy out.

After the zoo we got the girls from school. Danielle packed up and we had dinner. I got her to the airport and she headed back to Cali. It was so much fun to see here and have her here. Jeremy is trying to convince her to move to Arizona. She's trying to get us to move Georgia. I say we meet in the middle!

2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day

Breast Cancer 3-Day 2009 here I come. Yes, I'm doing it again - I signed up for the 2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day! I had such an incredible experience doing the 3-Day last year that I'm going back for more. I'm so excited about this event, even though this year I really know what I've gotten myself into. Words can't even describe the passion I have for this. The emotion I got crossing the finish line the support and encouragement I received along the way; not only from friends and family but complete strangers. It was an incredible, overwhelming sensation of Hope, Love, and Unity! I know I am making a difference and with your help you can make a difference too.


Without a cure, an estimated 5 million Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer - and more than 1 million could die - over the next 25 years. That's a pretty startling statistic. No one should have to face this disease, so in order to create a future without breast cancer, I walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Walking 60 miles was hard, but I will keep walking EVERY YEAR until breast cancer is no longer. I walk because everyone deserves a lifetime. I walk because I can.


This event isn't easy, but I promise you, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe 100% that it was worth every muscle ache, weary night and training walk!


I need your help. I am planning on surpassing the $2,300.00 that you - my friends and family - gave so generously last time around to help fight breast cancer. I know times are hard now but this is something is changing the world. You will be saving lives and ANY amount will help me reach my goal. Imagine not eating out for 1 month and putting the money towards your donation instead. It will add and you will be paying it forward.


I know that in the blink of an eye everything can change. No one is guaranteed to live a long healthy life and too often cancer comes along and hurts someone we love. It can be any kind of cancer and I want to help put an end to it all. We all deserve a lifetime and a lifetime with the ones we love. I want to be a part of something bigger, grander and the Breast Cancer 3-Day is my way of giving back. I want to give back for the love, family and friends I have. I want to give back to help keep them all safe, secure and healthy. I am doing this for my Friends, my Grandmothers, my Mother, my Sisters, my Aunts, my Cousins, my Daughters and their Daughters, and their Daughter’s Daughters. I am doing this for ME for YOU! Help me find a Cure.


Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising page and make a donation. http://www.the3day.org/goto/DanielleHanel. If you would rather mail your donation you can print out a donation form and send it in.


If you have any questions or want to hear more about what I'm doing, I love talking about the event. Thanks for all of your support. I'm incredibly lucky to have people like you in my life!

Love,
Danielle

Our 2008 Breast Cancer Team

"This One's for the Girls"

Random Fun

So just a little update on everyone.

Jeremy took a weld test at work and he passed. He is now a CERTIFIED Welder. The certification he has is one of the highest certs you can get. He was so happy and I am so proud of him. Now he will be getting a raise and that's always a nice thing. The other nice thing about this is that if he were to get laid off he has better chances of getting another job somewhere else.

I am not sure if you have all heard about the movie Twilight. It was a huge phenomenon. There was a midnight release to our local Walmart even had a party for the fans. Jer was busy playing his video games and I was wide awake so I decided to go check it out. The movie is based a a book series called The Twilight Saga. I bought the movie and decided to buy the 1st book as well. The girls and I watched the movie the next evening and I still didn't get the craze. I decided I would skip reading the book. But then a I was "yelled" at that I had to read the books and how great they were etc... so I gave in. Boy am I glad I did. I read the 1st book "Twilight" in 3 1/2 days. It was awesome. Of course I had to keep going so I bought the 2nd book and read that one in 3 days. Then I bought the 3rd and 4th one and read them both in 2 days. I read all 4 books in 9 days total. It was a total of over 2,400 pages. I was addicted and I still am. I re-watched the movie yesterday with Rylee and I liked it so much more. I am going to start the 1st book again. I never do that. I can't read a book more then once but I am in live the series.

Taylor had been doing a soccer camp. Her regular soccer season is over but the league offered a camp for her age group to give them more training. I am going to be signing her up for another one that they are having at the end of this month. It will last for about a month. It will teacher her better skills and better ball control. She has a lot of skill but with instruction can only get better. She just loves soccer and any extra help I can get her so she can improve I am all for. I love being a SOCCER MOM! School is going good. She has been improving in reading and has been getting great scores on her report cards.

Rylee is doing great. She is in Piano lessons. I put her in a program that offered a free scholarship for 2 months. She seems to really like it so Jeremy and I have deiced to keep her in the lessons. They are pricey but the results at the end are amazing. She will be getting her 1st recital piece this week. She attends private lessons every Wednesday right after school for 30 minutes. My Mother in Law bought her a key board so that she can practice at home. I know how great piano is for the brain so as long as we can afford the lessons she will stay in. I was blown away at the CD of recital pieces they played for us. They only accept Kindergartners and the whole program goes to the end of 9th grade. The played a piece of a 1st grader playing Mozart. It was so good. Another mom I know has her son in the lessons as well. She took lessons for 2 years and she said that after 2 years she didn't play as well as the 1st grader we heard. The website is https://www.hovlandconservatory.org/ If you look at the middle of the page it has a player called Role Model Music you can listen to the kids play. They motto is that all kids stay at the same level. So Rylee should be able to play like too. It's beautiful! Rylee is also in Cheer. She isn't too fond of cheer and wants to try soccer. We are going to put her in soccer next year and skip cheer. But she is doing good and it's so cute! School is going great for her as well.

Diesel is a nut ball. He is doing good. He is talking so much more now and you can actually understand what he is saying. He repeats you alot. We have had a few slips of foul language from his mouth. It's s hard not to laugh because he has no idea what he is saying. But we are working on our potty mouths the best we can. He has been doing really good in his big boy bed. And potty training is coming along. The only accidents he has are poopy ones. And they are no fun. But he is till running around naked and that seems to be going just fine. He is still obsessed with CARS. It's too funny. Here are some funny pictures I have taken of Diesel over the last few weeks.

I bought him a hat for our Disneyland trip. I was on the couch and he had disappeared. Next thing I knew he came out of his room and he had his hat on. I had to get a picture! It was so cute! He had his Cars hat on with His Car PJ's sitting in his Cars chair. lol.. It was so funny.

So lately he hasn't been big on naps but has been so tired in the evening. Jeremy got home from work and was so tired that he fell asleep on the couch and then Diesel was watching TV and fell asleep too. I had to take a picture they look so cute!

6th Birthday Fun

Rylee's 6th Birthday fell during the girls Spring Break. Diesel and I woke up and went to sing a Good Morning "Happy Birthday" to Rylee. The night before Rye slept with Taylor.

Diesel decided he wanted to crawl into bed with the girls and smother them with hugs and kisses.

For a Breakfast treat I bought lots of mini doughnuts. The kids loved them! It's a rare treat!

It's tradition that the birthday star gets to pick what they want for dinner. Since it was spring break Rylee got to pick lunch too. She decided to go to Sonics for popcorn chicken. We ran to Walmart to order her cake and so she could pick out her pinata. She was so excited for her presents. She wasn't allowed to open them until Jeremy was home from work so about every hour all day long she kept asking is daddy was on his way home yet. She was very excited. Taylor had a soccer camp that night and we didn't get done will 6pm. Jer was home now so we stopped by the house to pick him up and we were off to McDonald's. That's what My Rylee girl wanted for dinner. We at there and the kids played in the indoor play house. They had a lot of fun!

Then we were finally home. And so was DADDY! Rylee ran right to the gifts. She was very excited.

She got a DS from us and Jer parents. She got some money and a movie. She has gone shopping and bought some goodies with her B-Day and put some of it on her bank account. She really like reading her cards too.

That Saturday we her 6th Birthday Party. I rented a ramada at the park and we had it there. The weather so nice and she had lots of fun.

We had a pinata. It was broken before the big kids had a chance to break it. But they still loved all the goodies inside.

It was such an nice day in Arizona so I decided to have a water balloon toss. They kids had a lot of fun with this. They kept switching partners and were able to get a little wet.

Next she had her yummy cupcake cake. As you can see it was a 6 for her 6th birthday. We tried to light the candles but the wind wasn't cooperating with is so in the end she only blew out 2 candles.

Then Rylee opened her gifts. She got lots of fun stuff.

In the end I think she had a great 6th Birthday.