Last Weekend

Last weekend I did the walk & roll in our town with my sister & IV.   My mom works for State Farm and she had a tent at the walk & roll.   Not to brag, but I think we are some pretty cute ladies.  My mom emailed me the picture.  We walked & IV rolled in her stroller.   It was a great day!   We had so much fun!   Can't wait to do it again next year!   

AJ, Mom, IV, & Me

Is It May Already?

I can't believe that it's May already! I am very happy to see that spring has brought so many children home to their forever families! Congrats to everyone!
Troy, Rachel & Little D - http://journeywiththewilliamsfamily.blogspot.com/
Janine & Family - http://finding--emily.blogspot.com/
The O'Neal Family - http://www.oneal-itsasmallworld.blogspot.com/
Carey & Norman - http://russianfairytale.blogspot.com/
and one family that has been waiting so long and I'm so especially happy for:
Debbie & Dave with New Baby Izzy - (I wonder why I love that name as well? *wink*wink) http://russianbrown.blogspot.com/

So to each and everyone of you! I'm so happy that you've come together! Congrats!

Also if anyone has wondered why I am not posting pictures of my little niece IV anymore it's because her dad EV - doesn't want her pictures posted online anymore :( - so I was asked to stop posting them online. I'm a little sad about this because she is just so important in my life, but I have to respect their wishes. So the next one that I will post does not show her little face only her curls.

I posted the above picture of me from Saturday night out dancing. I was trying to do my America's Next Top Model Pose - but I really can't seem to get it perfected! Yes I watch that show I know I'm crazy but hey I have started to like fashion just a little bit! Do you think that the hat is too much? The jeans are so cute I Love them! I like the little top as well and the boots where ones that I wear to work and just switched them to a going out outfit. Oh and I want to add a few more because I went out with my sister AJ & EV my brother in law/trainer!


I just love how my sister and her husband are so cute together! I just love it! They are adorable. Plus they look so romantic when they dance together and smile and stuff! I can't help but be a tiny bit jealous!

Here is me & AJ dancing together we had so much fun! I think I had more fun on Saturday night than I did on my birthday.
So I had some great times with my family this weekend and I really needed that time. We had dinner on Sunday night with the whole family and that was nice for us all to get together.

I have to separate the post about the stuff that was bothering me because I just don't want to lump it in with the stuff that is good in my life. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'm hopefully going to be updating the layout of my blog soon because I want to freshen it up for spring!

Miss hearing from you all and I'm enjoying your blogs immensely!

IV's Birthday Celebration

So when you have a neice and she is so sweet like IV - you just want to talk - which here means BRAG about her all the time! IV has been such a blessing for so many reasons. She makes me smile, laugh, look at life with brand new eyes. Her first birthday was wonderful. My Grandma Runner came up to visit for IV's birthday; she got in on a Wednesday night and then stayed until the following Tuesday morning. My sister had some vacation time and took a few days off so that my sister AJ & baby IV - could get in some quality time with Great Grandma! Then on Saturday we had IV's birthday party. She had two cakes. Lots of people at her party. Family, Friends and another little boy who was so cute. IV really got the hang of ripping the paper off of packages. She got a tricycle from EV and AJ. Mom and Dad got her a little grocery cart. She got lots of books and toys. I got her a little vacuum cleaner that sings & teaches the alphabet. I also got her a cute little winter outfit w/ cute sweater and brown cord pants. It was great to be able to spend some time with my family.
During the past few weekends, I've had so much time with my wonderful family. We had some good talks, we played some cards, watched National Treasure Book of Secrets-even IV went to the movie. She slept most of the way through. Her smart mommy planned the family going to the movie during her nap time. I would recommend the movie to any of you that need an idea for a date night. National Treasure the original was a great movie, but the second one was just as good. If you don't check it out on the big screen, make sure you check it out on DVD. My dad and I went Christmas shopping on Christmas eve for my mom, which is always fun - even though the roads weren't the greatest. Much to the rest of my family's dismay Dad and I took so long shopping for mom we didn't get home in time to make it to Christmas eve service at Church. :( It was good to spend time with my Dad though and just having time to talk to him.

I wanted to let you all know that I have pictures that I'd like to add to these blogs, but what has happened is - I was so busy with work at DFI - that I didn't get a chance to write my blogs and update you all on everything over the last week I was at work. I ended up taking my computer home (with all my pictures on it) home yesterday! I am going to work on getting internet at my house, but as of right now I don't have it at my house so I'm posting from a computer at the family I nanny for. I have some great pictures from IV's birthday and I think that right now I'm only missing one post and that one would be for Christmas... hope you all had a great Holiday! I've enjoyed reading all about you guys! Pictures to come.... MJ

Thanksgiving.... just a little bit late!

Thanksgiving this year was a rollercoaster ride. I digress ... let's go back a little bit to the weekend that my friend JM came to visit. I found out that weekend that the lady that I nanny for had decided that since her husband had to work and have meetings during the week that they were suppose to go to Palm Desert, CA and the husband wouldn't be able to go on the trip with them that she would like for me to come along! WOW! I was so excited especially since I've never been to CA. Plus I live in Minnesota and it's cold here in November. So cold that I haven't even wanted to really go 4 wheeling! Which if I'm turning down going wheeling you know it must be cold because 4 wheeling is just about my favorite thing to do! So the thought of spending time in Sunny California - I was just so excited! I barely knew what to do with myself. So I got ready and packed! We were suppose to leave on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and I would fly home w/ MK on Thankgiving night because she had a weekend hockey tourney to go to! I was so excited and the only draw back in my mind was that I would be gone for IV's first Thanksgiving. So we get down to the Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving & I get a msg from the lady that I nanny for that the husband has changed his mind, he's going and now I'm not going to have a seat on the jet. Then she asks if I can watch the dog while they are gone and so I said yes, but I was very disappointed. The girls were very said especially MM and MJ - of course I didn't really know what to say other than I wished I was going too, but it was not to be. So I ended up watching Kirby the dog and had a whole long list of things to get done, I had taken 3 days off of work and ended up going ahead and not going to work just because I needed a break and I had such a long list of things to do for the lady that I nanny for that I was lucky to get it all done on Wednesday so I could pack up Kirby the dog and take him out to my house, it's about an hours drive. To top things off IV got sick and I ended up watching her on Wednesday for AJ my sister. So it truely was crazy. I managed to drive home on Wednesday w/ a whiny dog, a sick baby and all my stuff packed into my truck. Geez it was quite the hour drive. So I got up the next morning and made bran muffins to share w/ my family and headed over to my sister's who was hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I even brought Kirby the dog! So we had a very healthy meal and I didn't overeat this year which I was very proud of myself for especially with my weight loss going so well at this point! I've lost 52 pounds and I only have 48 pounds left to lose. My weight loss is still going, but it's going slower now than it did at first. I knew that would happen - but it is harder to stay in the same place on the scale for longer periods.
We watched the Macy's parade, played w/ IV, talked and hung out as a family. We just had so much fun and it was so relaxing this year. I'm going to post some pictures that we took on Thanksgiving! I hope that you all had great celebrations with your loved ones.... From my family to yours: Happy Holidays! Blessings & Prayers - Mandy

So now here's what you've all been waiting for the pictures right :) !!! The first one is my family: EV, AJ, Me, IV, Dad & Mom.

In these photos my mom is trying to show IV - kirby the dog in his holiday sweater!

What was really funny about Kirby and IV is that she would grab the back of his sweater & he would pull her along trying to get away from the toddler's mighty grasp! So comical!

This is my Dad and IV - she loves him so much and he loves her too it's just too cute!

This is my Mom and IV - she loves being a Grandma and can't wait to have more Grandbabies!

This is my parents w/ IV and I just love this picture - I took it and I said: "Wow... I just really got that moment you know!"

This is EV, IV, & AJ on their first Thanksgiving as a family of 3.

EV & IV - so sweet!

So last but not least I couldn't leave out a picture of me and my baby sister AJ!

Happy Thanksgiving all... I've enjoyed reading about all your holidays! Thanks for Sharing!