Where does the time go?

Unbelievable. Thanksgiving is already over and Christmas is just around the corner. Makes me wonder where the time goes. After uploading my pictures from the past week, I discovered where the time went. It went to waiting patiently at All Tune and Lube while our oil was changed..... and to honing our roller skating skills.
To dressing up our smiles with light up grills....
adhering, albeit reluctantly, to the strict guidelines set forth at Carousel Skate...
showing our love to one another...

and laughing hysterically while playing Apples to Apples.

It has also been spent snuggling with adorable babies...

posing for family portraits...

more snuggling with babies...

and perfecting our wrestling moves.

Obviously, some of our time has been spent pretending to be a banana...

trying to take naps...

and squeezing in just a little more baby snuggling.

We have also done our fair share of parade viewing...

participating in some good old fashioned family bonding...

and, believe it or not, even more skating at our new home away from home, Carousel Skate.

(Yes, that is me in the yellow shirt, showing off my sweet skills.)

A few moments have been spent wondering how it is possible that Theresa has surpassed Dawn in height (with roller skates providing a slight boost)...

and we also took some time to celebrate the birth of this lovely lady, Miss Hannah Berens.

We wrapped up the week with the much anticipated reception of the 2009 ornaments (Grace-Wonder Woman, Ella-a flamingo with a sea shell, Lily-a Jack In The Box and Jason-a grill)...

and the grand finale of decorating the tree.

Two of my favorite moments of the past week were not captured on camera but will forever be etched in my mind. As we were leaving the parade on Friday night, Ella reached for my hand and said, "Mom, I hope I grow up to be like you someday." I asked her why that was and she replied, "Because you are the best mom ever." Aww...

And then yesterday, I was paid the highest compliment a 3 year old can muster as I was deep frying tator tots. Lily proclaimed, "Mom, you are as good of a fry cook as Spongebob is." Next to Daddy, Spongebob is Lily's hero and so I can think of no greater honor to have bestowed upon me.

All wonderful ways to have spent the past week. I think it goes without saying, I didn't have to ponder too long to come up with my list of things to be thankful for this year. I hope you were able to spend time with your blessings as well.

Giving thanks....

I'm sure most of you have heard the horrendous news story about Shaniya Davis, the 5 year old little girl who was raped and murdered after her mother "allegedly" sold her into a prostitution ring. It sickens me, it saddens me and it makes me wonder how things like this can even happen. What would possess a mother to even consider this? How does the idea even enter your head? Aren't adults given the honor and responsibility of protecting and loving the children in their lives? How dare this woman so boldly and maliciously fail in her responsibility?

Of course, to us, this sort of event is unimaginable but unfortunately it is not. When I first heard this heinous story, I immediately thought of a bible verse I became aware of last year and has stuck with me, "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil by good." In my opinion, what happened to this little girl is the ultimate evil. Obviously I do not know this girl or have any sort of connection to her at all but I do think we can all use her tragic death as an opportunity to overcome evil by good.

For me it is so easy to become bogged down by things that aren't going perfectly; every day things like whiny kids, broken refrigerators, piles of laundry that seem endless, the list could go on and on. Unfortunately it takes a story like the story of Shaniya Davis to give me a little perspective. Never have I been faced with any real tragedy. There have been times of grief, extreme frustration, depression but never have I ever been even remotely in the presence of this type of evil. As an self proclaimed Caring Bridge stalker and a reader of incredibly sad blogs, I am aware of the tragic circumstances so many people are dealing with. How dare I allow myself to become upset over vehicle trouble?

Unless you have actually encountered tragedy and evil, you cannot possibly fully grasp it's wrath. Nevertheless, we have all heard the stories and from the stories, we can learn. What does it mean to overcome evil by good? Obviously by letting someone go in front of me in line, I will not be stopping all evil in the world from occurring but is it at least a start? Random acts of kindness, being aware and responsive to the needs of those around you, putting forth effort on behalf of someone else~these are all stepping stones to overcoming evil. Making someone's day brighter is never a bad thing. So many times, we worry about how helping others may be harming ourselves. We worry that extending ourselves for the needs of another may take from our limited supply of time, emotion, capabilities or resources and in some cases, that may be true. Every dollar you place in the Salvation Army bucket is one less dollar in your pocket. Every minute spent doing a good deed for your neighbor is one less minute you have to spend on your own needs. However, what we need to recognize is by giving, we are fulfilling God's will. In our own small way, we are prevailing over evil and that can only benefit us all.

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I am challenging myself to look at the big picture and hope you will join me. Look beyond your four walls and brighten someone's day by utilizing the means with which you have been blessed. Baking cookies for the new family in the neighborhood, holding the door for the harried mother struggling with her stroller, giving time or money to one of the many charities that have a great need this time of the year or simply sharing your smile with a stranger. In your own single act of giving, the thanks will be immeasurable and evil will be one step closer to being overcome by good.

"Now what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."~W.T Purkiser

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

There's no more definite sign that Christmas is just around the corner than a face to face with Jolly Old St. Nick. At the Festival of Trees on Saturday, the girls had that all important meeting.

They assured him they all belonged on the "good list" and supplied him with ideas. Just to be on the safe side, Lily promised him delicious cookies and cold milk (to sweeten the deal).

Making your way onto the good list is the easy part. Now let's see if they can stay there.....

Random thoughts...

Here are some of the thoughts that passed through my mind today:

1. An hour long nap for a three year old takes the day from, "Seriously, are you crying again? No way can you be crying again!" to "Oh, thank you for being such a good listener. You are such a good girl."

2. My father could become a gazillionaire by conducting seminars entitled, "I have charmed my way out of innumerable speeding tickets and you can too just by following these easy steps." He could then make a donation to the state of MN as an act of goodwill for all the money they have saved him in not issuing tickets when any other normal person in the world would have received one.

3. Apparently a check mark is the ultimate consequence for a first grader and can bring an otherwise spunky six year old to her knees in a flood of tears. I need to start using check marks around here. Either that or I have a con artist on my hands who turned on the waterworks to avoid getting into trouble while relaying the story of receiving a check mark for talking in a "no talking zone".

4. All of the advertising and marketing ploys retail stores use, especially during the Christmas shopping season, totally work on me. I'm a sucker for it.

5. Removing enough hair to keep Tyra Banks in weaves for the remainder of her life greatly improves the performance of a vacuum cleaner.

6. Using the picture below and the message written on the back of said picture, I'm leaning towards the con artist conclusion mentioned in #3.

Now we are off to "Family Nite Out" which I am quite certain will fill me with even more random thoughts, probably the most prominent of which will be, "Why the hell did I agree to attend an event that boasts a few hundred little children packed into a school gym all fighting to play games and bounce in inflatables?" Wish me luck!

Happy 3 1/2 birthday, Lily!

Yesterday marked 3 1/2 years of Lily Jane Kolb gracing our lives with silly comments, smiles as big as her entire face and hugs that you never want to end. In my opinion that is worth celebrating and when she asked me, "Mom, can we make some of those fudge brownies with fudge on the bottom and fudge on the top?", I thought they would make the perfect 1/2 birthday cake. She was my sous chef (until Spongebob came on and she deserted me) and after supper we gathered around the table to serenade our little Lily. 42 months of life with Lily has been nothing short of joyful. She has a real zest for life and loves almost everything she has the opportunity to experience. She loves Spongebob and mushrooms, Ralphie and tomatoes. Lily can't get enough of reading books, coloring, baked onions, swinging, olives and Dora. Broccoli, riding bike, her pink blankie, dresses that spin and egg rolls never fail to bring a smile to her face. Lily loves hiding in her secret spot when it's time for bed and wearing monster teeth. But most of all Lily loves her mommy, her daddy and her two big sisters....
which works out extremely well because we all love her more than words can express. She is our perfect little moocher and feel blessed to have been able to experience the past 3 1/2 years with her. Life is always a little bit brighter when Lily is next to you.

Happy 3 1/2 birthday my sweet girl!

Kristin and Chris' wedding....

After months and months of planning and excitement building, the anticipated wedding of Kristin and Chris finally arrived. The festivities began with rehearsal on Friday evening followed by a scrumptious dinner, catered by Uncle Ed's, at Amanda's abode. Although we were having a great time, in the best interest of bright eyes and bushy tails, we departed early and snuggled our flower girls and junior bridesmaid into bed.

Saturday morning was an early one with hair appointments at daybreak~slight exaggeration. We all felt and looked like princesses ready for the ball.

With hair out of the way, it was time to move on to the church for make-up and wardrobe. Completely beautified, we said "Bring on the photographer". Kristin was an exquisite bride and her happiness was palpable and contagious. The mood was festive and my girls were on their best behavior. Was it the promise of a movie on Tuesday if they cooperated throughout the day, their desire to help make Kristin's day as terrific as possible or just simply their nature to be good girls? Could be a combination of the three but ultimately it really doesn't matter, the photography session was a complete success!

After pictures, we had some downtime to re-spruce up, feast on subs and Special K bars, take informal pics....

and hang out in the attached classrooms that boasted all of my girls' favorite things: some type of rodent, books, music and a dry erase board. It was ideal and the perfect way to keep them occupied and entertained.

Time passed quickly, as it usually does when you have a whole dry erase board at your discretion and soon we were being paged as the big show was about to begin. My final piece of anxiety was hanging in there until the girls were down the aisle. As usual, my worry was unfounded as Grace, Ella and Lily all strutted down the aisle like it was their catwalk and they were competing for the title of America's Next Top Model. The ceremony went off without a hitch and we all followed Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hanson back down the aisle ready to put on our dancing shows. Before the eating, drinking and dancing, the cameras came back out for more memory preservation.

Exiting the church, Ella was delighted (total understatement) to find a red carpet awaiting her size nines. She asked both Jason and I if that was actually a real red carpet. When we assured her it was in fact a real red carpet, she said, "I cannot believe I was on a real red carpet. My friends at school are never going to believe it either." On aboard the limo bus, with stars in her eyes, she again turned with another question, "Is this the kind of bus superstars ride on?". My answer to the affirmative was received with a dreamy smile and a short nod of the head, as if saying, "Finally, after six long years, I have made it. I am a superstar."

The beautiful fall day was tailor-made for a post wedding photo shoot at Falls Park.

With business taken care of and the girls off with Grandma and Papa for a brief rest period between events, the adults once again boarded the superstar bus for a pit stop at a local watering hole and then on to the reception.

Another awesome meal under our belts and it was time for the revelry to begin.

The excitement of the day got the best of Lily and following the only breakdown of the day, was escorted home to her bed which we could hear calling her name all the way in Brandon.

The rest of us spent the remainder of the night competing for the crown of "Dancing Machine".

Grace was so busy dancing and rocking out that she didn't even have time to stare at anyone.

Ella danced so fast and so furious I was afraid her legs were going to fall off.

Good times were had by all and the memories will live on with us forever.

To my girls: Throughout the day I was told over and over something I have known all along, I have the three best little girls a mommy could ask for. I could not be more proud to be your mom.

To Kristin: So often friendships slowly drift apart until what once was daily phone calls and hours spent together become passing thoughts or a smile at an old memory. I feel so blessed that our friendship has remained intact over so many years and am so lucky to count you as one of my closest and dearest friends.

To Chris: It was clear the first night you and Kristin met, there was a special connection between the two of you. We, of course, dissected the evening the next day and she asked me what I thought of you. My answer is the same now as it was then, you are a really, really great guy and you are perfect for Kristin. You have made her happier than I have ever seen her and I feel confident you will continue to do so.

To Kristin and Chris: From that night at the Mosque, it was evident there was something between the two of you that just clicked. Your relationship is proof that there is always a reason for life circumstances, good or bad and a path that is set out for us before we even realize it. Saturday we were able celebrate your reason and your path. It was a privilege to be a witness to your first meeting and it was an honor to be included in the big day we could all see coming. Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy life together.