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Christmas time!

Well we got to put the Christmas tree up this week. This is one of my favorite things to do with my family. I love to watch all my guys while it is going on. We have a tradition of watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation while doing it (as you will see in one of the pictures lol). I really thought we would have a problem with Brayden wanting to get into everything and so I was nervous about putting everything out but as we were putting it up I tried to get him into the tinsel and he wanted NOTHING to do with it. He hated all of it so I figured I could put all of my stuff out and it'd be safe. Unfortunately today he has discovered the ornaments and likes to tug on them so that will be an issue. He is so cute though. He has some serious attitude going on with a dancing snowman that I have. I was taking pictures of him and he was posing and apparently he didn't like that the snowman was stealing his shot so he decided to beat him down :) So these are the pictures from that and then some of the pictures from us putting up the tree.

See ya!
Christy

The past week

Well Thanksgiving came and went. Dave had to work for it and Mychael was with his dad and Tracey so I went down to Chester with Brayden to be with my family for it. I think Brayden was pretty overwhelmed by all the people and immediately wanted to attach himself to my leg and stay there. We ended up leaving early and driving back so he would sleep and get in a better mood. He was back to happy when we got home so I spent the evening playing with him and eating leftovers. On Saturday we had thanksgiving with Daves family. Just a quiet nice dinner. It was good that we got to be with both families for the holidays. I always feel bad if we miss one or the other so this year it worked out great.

Last night was the football banquet. Mychael was so excited to go. Brayden stayed home so it was me and Dave, Mychaels dad and Tracey, and Mychael. We got there and sat around and talked and then got in line for dinner. They had a nice restaurant in Granite cater it and so we ate good! After that they had a few guest speakers. They were all nice to listen to and I enjoyed hearing their stories (even though one went on forever and you would have thought he was trying to recruit incoming freshman rather then talking to a group of 8-12 year olds) and what they had to say. We made Mychael perk up and listen. I want him to learn that there is more to it then just the game. Its hard to keep an 8 year old listening when even half the adults in the room were playing with their cups and looking around bored :) After that it was on to them introducing the coaches and then each coach gave their team members a medal and introduced them. Then their team was presented with the trophy for winning the championship. I love watching Mychael in situations like this. He is just so proud looking. It makes me happy for him. His coach said something that will stay with me and made me laugh. He was talking about education and grades and he said in his house is goes like this...getting an A means awesome. getting a B means be careful. getting a C means caution. cause getting a D means death. I LOVED that!! LOL!! On the way home we talked to Mychael about grades and how all of that plays into getting to play football. I told him that when you play for the school if you get bad grades they don't let you play and when you play for the park district if you get bad grades WE don't let you play. He seemed to get it. Although the kid is an A student it never hurts to try to scare him into staying that way. So here are the pictures from last night.

See ya!

Christy

Bathtime!!!

Had to post these cute pictures before I went off to bed. I will write more about the holiday tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great one!

Dave was giving Brayden a bath the other night while he was in the greatest mood and I got some great pictures I have to share.

See ya,

Christy

Maroon Eagles are the CHAMPIONS!!

Well last night was the championship game for Mychaels football team and they WON!! The boys were so fired up during the game it was comical. The coaches were just as fired up which is sometimes even more comical. It was a really close game and it came down to the very end with all of us on the sidelines stressed out to the max but they pulled it off and won! Even his coach said that he had only expected the kids to win one or two games because they were the team in the league that had never played before and they were the youngest therefore the smallest team out there, Like he said though they have heart and always tried their hardest. I am so proud of Mychael. He played one of his best games last night. He has decided that it is all about football and no other sport lol. We tried to explain that he can do it all but football is all he wants. :) We will have to see. His coach wants them to do wrestling (yeah cause my heart really needs that!) so I guess we will see. Here are some of the pictures from last night and also his official football pictures.

So heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time

Well Georges funeral was Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday Kristan came over and spent the day. I was supposed to go over there but she didn't really want to hang out at her house which is understandable so she came here. We got to spend all day and part of the evening together. It was good to be with her all day and talk. We talked about everything. She is doing about as good as you can do in that situation. Tuesday was the viewing. We got to see a lot of people from MedStar that we haven't in years! Most we were really excited to see (Scooter if you are keeping up with this blog you should comment sometime and leave your email for us!) and some we could have went a few more years without seeing LOL. Mostly the owners :).

I was not looking forward to Wednesday. Firefighter funerals are always so sad anyway and on top of that for it to be an EMS funeral doubles that sadness and to see Kristan in that kind of pain makes it horrible. They played the bagpipes as they loaded the casket onto the firetruck that would carry him to the cemetery. Its amazing how many firetrucks / ambulances from all over come to show their respect when something like this happens. On the way to the cemetery the lineup was the firetruck that carried the casket, then his family, then tons of MedStar ambulances and vehicles, then all of us, and then at the end of the line were tons of ambulances from other companies and tons of firetrucks from all around. All emergency vehicles in front and back had their red and blue lights flashing all the way to the cemetery. It is one of the saddest things and one of the most beautiful things you can see. Ive went to two funerals like this and both times could just look at all the lights flashing following the casket and cry. Then once we were there they presented her with his fire helmet, rang the fire bell three times (I'll explain what that means at the end), and then they made his last call over the MedStar radio. That right there breaks your heart. They come over the radio and call the attention of all employees and then they go on to call his truck number for his last call and then read his date of death etc.. Every person there cried. It is one of the saddest things Ive ever seen/heard. I'm sure George was looking down and smiling at all the people who came out to pay their respects and give him such a spectacular goodbye.

*** The ringing of the bells at a firefighters funeral -- A 200-year-old tradition, the bell once chimed in firehouses to symbolize crews returning to station after a large blaze.
Now, it rings at funerals for firefighters who have responded to their final call home. *** This gets me every time. I told Dave that I had to pass away before him because I can't handle all of this.

The newspaper was there and got some pictures of the funeral procession. The pictures don't do it justice but here they are. As you can see the line of emergency vehicles went on and on and that was the ones at the end. They didn't show all the vehicles in the front. The second picture is of them loading the casket onto the firetruck, and the last is another one of some of the emergency vehicles.

See ya,
Christy `

Make sure to watch her second song and listen what she says to Ellen!

EVEN A 7 YEAR OLD GETS IT!!! NOW IF OTHERS WOULD OPEN THEIR MINDS LIKE THIS LITTLE GIRL. Make sure to listen to what she says to Ellen before starting her second song. You will have to mute my music player.