Mandi is 25 Today!!

My Baby Sister Turns 25 Today!!
Happy Birthday Mandi!!

25 Reasons I Love My Sister


1. She's blond...they really do have more fun!


2. She thinks first class is so special that it is on another, faster airplane!


3. She was the cutest Stony Point HS cheerleader ever! My favorite cheer was "Shake It" or something like that.



4. She has overcome some incredible obstacles in her life and is a stronger person because of it.



5. You can always count on a thank you note from Mandi for everything! She has beautiful handwriting too! =)



6. Mandi would open a Willie dog farm if Kyle would let her. Her first project would be to rescue my cripple dog Oscar! She will always have a willie dog in her lap as long as she lives. We will have to beg the nursing home to let one in. (Aunt Betsy takes in the overflow)



7. She can laugh at her self in any situation. She has taught me to laugh at myself and everyone else too!!



8. She is so short she can't see LARGE objects (grill guards) in her rear view mirror.



9. I am so proud of the kind of teacher she has become. She is the kind of teacher that makes students want to come to school and learn! She was voted Teacher of the Week yesterday!!



10. Mandi is beautiful, yet she can make the ugliest and scariest faces you have ever seen.



11. There are a few items you can count on being in Mandi's car at all times... Tanner, New puppy, one Smart Water or Starbucks pomegranate tea, random rap music, cell phone, tennis shoes, J Crew flip flops, a bag of new clothes or a bag of old clothes headed to the resale shop. This does not include objects found in the trunk.



12. Mandi is the only 25 year old who still sends out detailed birthday wish lists to her family members via e-mail. I got one just the other day.



13. She organizes each day with a list of no less than 50 things to do. When the list gets lost.........



14. She can imitate any actor/actress and always has a one-liner to crack you up.



15. I can always count on Mandi to text me questionable pictures that are accidentally opened up at church.



16. Her voice rises 6 octaves when she is nervous or asking for something.



17.On the flip side, she can sound like she has severe emphysema and creep you out when she calls with her "Uncle Steve" voice.



18. She convinced her boyfriend kyle to dress up in girlie sweaters and take pictures for a Christmas card! And he still married her!



19. She doesn't realize how awesome she is and is always putting too much pressure on herself to be Super Woman!



20. Mandi can find a great sale anywhere she goes. She and our mother are also known for returning more items than they actually keep.



21. She has never used the same bedspread and room decor for longer than 1 year or 2 Semesters, whichever comes first.



22. Mandi has the amazing ability to leave home looking a mature 30 or 13. Cool trick.



23. She loves to run so much, she will probably run 25 miles for her birthday present.



24. Mandi's weenie dogs have an expansive wardrobe that would rival most walk-in closets.



25. Mandi has a sweet, giving spirit and I'm so glad that we have become best friends. Seems like yesterday we were slamming doors and having cat fights!!



I have loved watching you grow up into a fabulous woman!

I love you Mandi!! Have a great Birthday!

2,555 days of Marriage

4,015 days of loving a person moves quickly when you are still having a great time! Today is our 7th wedding anniversary and we have been a couple for 11 years!! Hard to believe it was 11 years ago when I went off to college and found myself in several classes with a football player who seemed to have a staring problem! I want to write a blog today to tell you why I love this man and what he means to me!



In light of several of our close friends who have recently lost their marriages or are on a very treacherous path..... it causes me to reflect on my own marriage. It takes mere seconds to realize that God has truly blessed me with a man who loves God, me and his son with a fierce passion that drives him to protect us all from the things of this world that can steal, kill and destroy all that is good. Robert is not perfect, but he continues to deny himself daily and take up his cross. This action alone has brought blessings on our life that I'm eternally grateful for. Robert is a man who can laugh at himself and definitely at me. He finds joy in a funny tv show, an afternoon at the park, and Cade's silly games. He takes the time to play with Cade, put his toys together, wash his clothes, his bottles, change his sheets, take him to the Doctor, hold him when he is sad, teach him ridiculous phrases and of course 3 point football stances. He takes the time to ask me how my day was, encourage me as a mother, support my work successes and failures, take me out to dinner again( since I can't cook), comfort me when I'm sad, laugh at me when I'm mad but most of all he loves me despite me and tells me so everyday! He has sent me roses to school every year for my birthday, writes me poems, saves Canton money for me, hangs curtains and repaints walls every time I change my mind on the color scheme.



Robert works very hard at his marketing management job as well. He treats co-workers with respect, makes them laugh, impresses them with his forward thinking. He is well liked and respected because of the character and ethical code he demonstrates. This makes me proud.

He is now a student again as well. He is walking away from a successful business career that was progressing to give his life to others so that they may know Jesus. He has the biggest servant heart of anyone I have ever known. God has equipped him with the ability to reach others for His glory. This road is long and difficult, but Robert will stay the course because that is who he is.



Recently, I was looking for a certain channel to watch a tv show and realized it was blocked. I thought that was weird so I asked Robert what happen to the channel. He replied simply that he blocked it because he had noticed some questionable shows came on that channel (things most people are immune to) and he did not think he needed to see them. Keep in mind we have a very basic cable package. But his heart is so in tune to the fact that he must protect his mind and heart from any foothold that Satan could use to harm us, harm our marriage. My heart soared and I decided I no longer needed to watch a show on that channel after all. It is not worth it. I praise God for a husband who wants to please the Lord and guard his heart and mind as often as he can.



I don't know why God allowed me to be blessed with such a wonderful husband and marriage.... but all I can say is THANK YOU Lord. THANK YOU Robert for showing me so much, for challenging me to be a better person, for loving me as Christ loved the Church, for upholding your marriage vows and for being my BFF! I love you and look forward to our next 7 years and many after that together!!

Snow Angel

Cade's 2009 Year in Review
1. Cade made his first airplane trip this year. He flew all the way to Oregon and did awesome!!
2. Cade played in real snow this year, (Oregon). He especially liked how it tasted and threw snowballs at everyone.
3. He had a successful Ear Tube surgery!! Thank you for all your prayers.
4. He is an excellent helper at loading and unloading the laundry. Everything goes under his bathroom cabinet: towels, socks, daddy's underwear.
5. He feeds his pupas (puppies) everyday!!!
6. Cade can really talk now! He tells everything bye bye including the bathtub, his empty food plate, the car, his animals.
7. One of his favorite books is "Merry Christmas Curious George", Robert has an amazing knack for recreating the story every time he reads it. Sometimes twice per night. He also loves "Mr. Brown Can Moo"!
8. He asks "one more, one more", when he really wants something. He holds up one chubby little finger and cocks his head to the side and grins soooo mischeviously.
9. Cade is going to be a musician. He loves to play the guitar, drums, harmonica, piano and the radio. Everytime he hears music he stops, listens and starts dancing. He then plays the air guitar or piano when he figures out what he is listening too.
10. No judgement please, he really loves playing the Wii and he is pretty good at it.
11. He has a huge amount of vehicles that must be strategically parked in the garage!! Truck, school bus, wagon, dumptruck, harley motorcycle, 4-wheeler, push and go car and 2 strollers.
12. He eats his own kids meal everywhere we go!! I guess that explains his last Dr. visit at 28.5 lbs.
13. He runs as fast as he cans and jumps in my arms everyday when I get home! Priceless.

There is so much more.....but I will stop there today!