Still here...Still Ticking...Just Going, going, going....

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. Roughly 65 days... So here goes...
1.  Hockey Player had allergy testing done... we know why he was sick all winter.  Not allergic to ice, but allergic to his Great-Granny's apartment.  BUMMER !
2.  Botanica family day
3.  Cross-the-midline phycial therapy sessions for all the kids!
4.  Gymnastics for the MAN
5.  2 swim meets for Fun Girl.  Improving her times with each race.  Showing how mentally tough she is in competition.
6.  Rock wall climbing
7.  Cub Scouts Blue and Gold
8.  Awana awards ceremony
9.  Hockey Player earns multiple honors from the Hockey Association
10.  Hockey Player earns his Timothy Award
11.  A trip to Fort Larned to meet up with cousins and earn Jr. Ranger Badges
12.  Cousins!! 
13.  Playing Body Body with Cousins.
14.  Life Guard classes and Orientations
15.  Fun Girl starts her first job.
16.  Swim suit and gear shopping...Life Guard and Swim Team
17.  Laughing at Big O daddy O as he sees his Little Girl as a bit more grown up.
18.  Passport stamping Daniel for Endangered Species Day at the ZOo
19.  End of School Year Support Group Picnic with Friends
20.  Visits with Grandpa Clark
21.  Visits with Great Granny Grace (AKA...3G)
22.  High School Graduation for a cousin
23.  Piano recital
24.  Fun Girl turns 16
25.  Fun Girl + friends + Little Princess + mom go to Great Wolf Lodge and KC for water park and shopping fun!
26.  Panera date with Hubby
27.  Homeschool Conference
28.  Hospice care for 3G
29.  Baseball starts up. 
30.  Dad's Bud plays Ball
31.  The Man plays Ball
32.  Big O Daddy O gets "volunteeered" to coach The Man's ball team
33.  Big O Daddy O changes shifts somewhere during this time frame.  2nds to 3rds.
34.  New sleeping schedules and sleeping arrangements.
35.  Hockey Player gets braces
36. Good Bye to friend Sarah as she starts a new adventure with her family.
37. Servant Team Retreat
38.  The boys go camping.
39.  My mom gets an ambulance ride...scares all of us pretty good.
40.  Business Trip + Family fun to Colorado canceled
41. All Girls Servant Team Retreat
42.  VBS
43.  Power Team for Little Princess
44.  BINGO to earn money for hockey
45.  Hockey Clinincs
46.  Wednesday night AFW for 2 teenagers now !
47.  Hockey Player goes to Estes Park for Youth Group Camp
48.  Little Princess takes Lego Robotix Camp!
49.  Garage Sale Shopping
50.  Ebay
51.  Summer school
52.  Swimming at 3 Y Water Parks
53.  Summer Reading Program with Library
54.  Great Granny Breaks her hip.
55.  Surgery and is now in Rehab. 
56.  Moved Great Granny out of her apartment...took 21 days!  She likes to shop.  A QVC Queen.
57.  Learned my friend's husband delivered much of her QVC the day she and her twins helped me pack
58.  Gift card purchases at Dillons for 4X the fuel points...equals gas. at $1.29 for almost an entire months worth of gas.
59.  Dentist cleanings plus back again for fillings for one kiddo.
60.  weddings
61.  Getting the vents cleaned in our home !  That was interesting.
62. High school JUNIORS and seniors Bible Study.  (I have a junior now!)
63.  Fun Girl goes to New Orleans.
64.  My Uncle Gene dies
65.  I spend an awesome couple of days visiting my Great Uncle Paul.

So that is just a glimpse. 
This has been good for the soul. 
There has been a lot of hard the last 2 + months.  But as I look back, there has been a lot of good. 
Maybe pictures will come.
I am still doing the Joy Dare.  Still counting.....

Its been eventful...

December is always a busy month. It never seems to matter if all the holiday shopping is done before Dec. 1 or not. There is school, family, recitals, parties, tournaments, and more. In the midst of it all sometimes there is the stomach virus. This year we were blessed with all the above and a surprise visit from my sister and her daughters! Until a couple of days ago, we thought the virus had left our home for the remainder of the year. But alas, the last 2 of us were not to be left out. I have been a little discombobulated by it all. So I have spent the night looking back through the pictures in hopes of being able to remember a bit of what became a blur between laundry, trashcans and disinfectant.
Our surprise visit with the Aunt Shell and cousins was great fun. They were willing to join us at the kids' Christmas/piano recital. The cousins (not girls) even discovered an interest in hockey when they hit the road yet again to go with us to Oklahoma for a couple of games. Hockey Player instantly had his own cheering squad to cheer him and the team on! Aunt Shell got a sneek peak into this mom's transformation into Hockey Mom. When dad can't travel, he gives certain instructions to the mom... "get on him and "tell" him to skate hard and play strong". I pace and fret, and then I holler and cheer, then back to pacing and fretting. But admist all the hustle and bustle cousins found down time to snuggle and watch cartoons, play star wars,

some of my favorite pictures....

For Papa and Grandmama!

Shortly after our return from Ireland, not only did we have Bubbly Sarah with us, giving the girls her shoes, but Aunt 'Shell and cousins arrived. 9 of the 10 cousins were together. Unfortunately, getting 9 cousins together also means pictures that look like these....
Oh, how I tried. This past week when I was looking at these pictures, I could only laugh.

I am grateful for pictures like these. Because it means the cousins are laughing and enjoying the company of each other. They were just too busy trying to fill every minute they had with one another. They new their time together would be short. It means they are cousins, they don't see each other as girls or boys. Which is good thing since our cousins consist of only girls! They hold their own with the hockey playing, rambunctious, wild boys they find in Kansas! Cousins are the next best thing to siblings!