2011 Heartwalk

T-shirt artwork ... original idea by Maddy, design by Uncle Sam & Chelsea :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

While the big kids were off "hangin out" with friends ... the little girls and I made Turkey cookies! Apparantly, this is a new tradition for us ... we made them last year, and Evie reminded me that we needed to do them again this year!

Evie's Amazing Game

Evie is playing her first season of soccer. Tom's coaching his first soccer team ... team Sugar Rush! Saturday, Evie scored 2 of the team's 6 goals!

School's Back in Session!

I'm not sure how I missed an ENTIRE summer but, let me just say we were BUSY! June was filled with camps ... Dance camp at TU, Young Women's Girls' camp, Boy Scout camp, and EFY. July was MY month off. Even though I was taking 2 summer classes at RSU, I had ACL reconstructive surgery at the first of July and was nothing but LAZY for the rest of the month. August came, and another school year is here again!

TJ is in 10th grade, and starting the year off with Marching Band, and he'll finish the year with his favorite ... Jazz Band.Kaylee is in 9th grade, and beginning her high school experience with the Dance Team.Chelsea is in 8th grade, and is continuing her art and soccer explorations. Maddy is in 5th grade, and is at the Upper Elementary. She's learning the trumpet and playing soccer again.Evie is in all day kindergarten, and playing soccer. It's killing me ... but I'm enjoying the extra time with Claira.Claira is back in preschool 2 days a week, and is loving it! She didn't start until a week after her siblings, so she had a hard time waiting. Today was her first day ... as you can see she's proud to be one of Tidwell's Turtles.We started off with our tradition of breakfast at Braum's. This year was a bit strange because TJ drove his sisters to school, while Tom and I took the youngest three. Am I ready for this?

Maddy's Graduation

Maddy was the star at her 4th grade Graduation! This celebration is a tradition at our Elementary school because the students move on to the Upper-Elementary in the 5th grade. They had a great time with all the end of year field trips ... Bounce U, and the 4th grade Talent Show (pictures to come).

Maddy also tried out softball again after 3 years. She is a natural! So far she's played catcher, right field, left field and shortstop. Go Cowgirls!

Spring Concert

Last night we enjoyed music from Kaylee's 8th Grade Band ... they finished with a beautiful arrangement of Amazing Grace. It was very moving!

Next, we enjoyed TJ's High School Jazz band . . . who won National recognition in San Antonio, Texas last month!

Happy Mother's Day!

From Evie . . .

Congratulations Kaylee!

Kaylee made the High School Dance Team!!! She went through 3 days of clinics, learning new dances and killing herself physically. On that Friday she tried out with 22 other girls. We are so proud of her for trying out ... and making it! She is gonna have a great experience in high school, and she is gonna be a terrific leader for these girls. The next day we celebrated TJ's 16th Birthday! We had a video scavenger hunt with over 25 kids at our tiny house ... more on that to come ...

Spring has Sprung!

Ebble's preschool class had an Easter Egg hunt today. Claira brought her basket and joined in the fun! Comparing eggs ... After the hunt, the girls had snacks. Having an engaging conversation about how cool their houses are with the little boy across the table ... way cute.

Spring Break?

Last day of Spring Break and it SNOWS! Kaylee and TJ are bummed because the youth dance is cancelled ... but Maddy, Claira and Evie are loving it!

Evie turns 5

Evie turned 5 on February 25th!



She had a Princess party with a castle cake ...



She is our smiliest girl ... and she gives the
greatest "ear kisses" ever!

Update

Oh I've really neglected this blog lately! I have several updates to post because we have been a busy family ...
We'll start with Book Character Day! Our elementary school celebrated Dr. Seuss' Birthday this week, and today Maddy and Evie dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2. The Cat in the Hat (awesome librarian) was available for a photo op too!

... more to come ...

Christmas Bliss

Just a snapshot from our family Christmas celebration. As I always say ... "chaos is BLISS"!

O Christmas Tree . . .

We decorated our Christmas Tree today and had a tree trimming party! It's not a party at our house without food ... junk food that is!

Everyone took turns putting on their own ornaments. Ornaments they've received each year of their lives. Some years the ornaments were simple and inexpensive, and other years they represented a milestone in their lives ... like the deer hunting the hunter (T.J.'s), or the ballerina (Kaylee's), and we even have the surgical scrub ornament for the year Claira had her heart surgery.

Claira had to be held by Dad because she broke her leg earlier today at church.

Evie put the star on the tree, which is a big honor in our house ... one that must be rotated to keep it fair! Now that the tree is up, I have orders to find a pair of red Christmas shoes and red princess gloves. Evie has decided that's what she needs to wear for Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

T.J. the hippie sporting his aunt's Third Eye Blind concert t-shirt and Rasta Beanie? Kaylee was a bigger version of her 1-year-old self in her 1st hand-made costume ... Pebbles! She tried to get her friend to go as Bam-Bam, but he wouldn't do it. Too bad! Claira is well ... Claira Cluck! Everyone called her a duck and she would promptly say "I'm a chicken!". Chelsea was me ... I mean a nurse! A very eccentric nurse that is. Maddy was the toothless vampire (we couldn't get the teeth to stay in). Evie was Ariel the Mermaid with spray-painted red hair ... imagine us having to spray paint red hair! And finally there's Tom ... for this there are no words.

Dancin' in the Rain

I got this from a fellow nursing student ... I love the philosophy behind it!
"It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.
He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'
He smiled, patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm. I thought to myself 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything they have.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.'"

Trip to Target

Recognize these darn red balls? Every time we go to Target, the girls have to "sit" on the balls! For whatever reason, Evie insisted I take a pic of her choking herself ... and since Claira's her official shadow, she had one taken too.
Btw, I'm barely squeeking by nursing school with a low B ... this is way harder than I ever imagined!

How's this one Aunt Chewie?

It ain't Fadda's Day no more!

This is for you Julie

I have been SUPREMELY busy with school ... and teenagers ... and toddlers ... and husbands (well, you know). So I'll have to commit to do a better job to keep my blogs updated!
We love you Aunt Chewie!
BTW, congratulations Laura on your baptism ... it's so fun being in Kansas with you!

HaPPy FaDDa's DaY!

So ... we thought this video was the perfect way to wish Happy Father's Day to a very deserving Dad (thanks Mindy). Tom is Daddy to 6 kids ... 5 of which are girls! 5 very talkative girls!
We love you Dad!