Valley City Basketball Tourney

On Saturday we headed to Valley City for a one-day tournament for Randy's 7th grade traveling basketball team. They did very well, and won the tournament. They haven't lost a game yet this season. Our next tournament is Dec. 20th and 21st and is in Bismarck. We sure had fun. We hadn't been back to Valley City since Randy and I left back in 2000. So it's been 8 years. We drove through campus, and showed Karenza where Mommy's dorm room was, and where Daddy stayed. We told her this is where Mommy and Daddy became boyfriend and girlfriend and she immediately said she wanted to go to school there! Things haven't changed much, but it feels like I haven't been back in forever. All the fun, and memories we have there. I wanted to drive by my old apartment, but we just didn't have time. After the tournament we had pizza at Pizza Corner Pizza with my aunt & uncle Larry and Marylee and my cousins Travis and Jamie and Jamie's fiancee Mandy and her little boy Alex. He is 5, and he and Karenza had fun in the playland area. We didn't get home until about 10:00pm, and had left at about 8am. So it was a fun filled day!!

Below are pictures from our weekend, and pictures of Karenza helping Mom with her and Dad's Christmas tree last week. The pictures are dark, and I am not sure what is up with my camera because it doesn't look that dark on my camera. I may be shopping for a new digital camera soon!!

Here they are with their trophies

Karenza and David (a brother of one of the players) on the stage. This tourney was in the old Rec building that I think was built in the 1950's. It's a really neat building.

Karenza found an old piano. She is so hard to keep track of I was visiting with a Mom, and then I looked to where she was the last time I saw here, and she wasn't there any more. I had heard a piano playing, and so I followed where it was coming from and this is what I found. She was playing and singing some High School Musical song. Other parents were impressed on how well she can sing!! Little fart can sing on tune.

Here she is rounding all the boys up. We had about an hour and a half before they had to play again and we were just all hanging in the concession area and she rounded all the boys up to have a little pep talk. Keep in mind they are about 13 years old, and in the 7th grade and they are listening to her!

Here she is telling them that they need to play hard for her Dad. And don't fall on the ground, and please listen to my Daddy when he tells you to work hard! They were laughing, but she had their attention. I wish I had video tape because it was hilarious!

After her pep talk with them she then told them to "bring it in" because that is what Randy says to them and they all put their hands together and they said what are we going to say? She said "Chaos!" That is the name of the team, and so she counted 1, 2, 3, and then they all said Chaos! She had all the parents laughing, and they all said if Randy has any trouble bringing the boys together we will just call on Karenza.

I was trying to get a picture of Mom's Christmas tree, and Karenza kept posing different every time I took a picture. I don't ever really realize how tall she is getting until I see her legs in pictures. No wonder why I have such trouble buying jeans for her. She is so skinny, but those long legs!!

Another pose, with those long legs!!

Pictures of Thanksgiving

Below are pictures of our Christmas Tree and of our Thanksgiving.

Our Christmas Tree

Helping Decorate the Tree

Getting more decorations

Finding the perfect spot for the Christmas Balls

Standing in front of the tre with the just the skirt on the tree so far

Me talking to Addie, and she always gives me the cutes smile!!

Eating our Thanksgiving meal

Papa making sure the Girls are good with everything they need

Randy and Jer scooping their plates

Papa talking to Grandma

Grandma still needs to be in the kitchen after all these years! :-)

Addie and Papa

Karenza & Cassidy playing Memory

Cassidy getting ready for bed

Addie looking like a little taco!

Addie getting a bath in the sink


She gets fussy right around 8pm and Holly gets her ready for her bath and once she hits the water she quits her fussing. She loves her bath!!

Karenza asking Auntie "Should I help with the lotion?"

Karenza trying to help, and Addie not liking it. Looks like Karenza is smooshing her nose!

Addie getting her last feeding before bed

Sound asleep. The whole process of her bath, feeding, and getting to sleep is 30 minutes!

Sleeping in Karenza's Pack-n-Play. She is in bed by 8:30-8:45 and sleeps until 7:30-7:45am. What a good baby!!!

And of course Karenza taken just this Monday morning eating toast. In her new Hannah Montana vest looking so adorable!

Black Friday & Our Christmas Tree

Holly and I were out and about on Black Friday. Yes, I am one of those crazy people who waits out in the cold at 4am! But, this year we didn't leave the house until about 9am. We waited for Addie to wake up and have her first feeding before we left the house. Cassidy and Karenza stayed with Randy for a little bit in the morning until my Dad came and got the girls to take them shopping. We headed to the mall first and were there until about 11:30 or so. Then we headed up to Pinehurst Square where Kohls and Old Navy are. We got such great deals!! I am almost done Christmas shopping. What a great feeling!! We had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's and then we headed to Walmart to get wrapping paper. My sister and I had a blast spending the day together. We laughed and giggled all day, and found really good deals. Addie was such a trooper! She had one other feeding at about 11:30, and then she slept the whole day we were out. BHS marching band was in the mall and marching playing Christmas music. We stood out side of Herberger's and the drums and cymbals were all going and Addie didn't even flinch. Everyone commented on how such a good baby she was.

I am looking for a My Size Barbie Princess Liana for Karenza. They had them at Walmart for $35.00, and of course were out by the time I got there. I have been looking on the Internet for them, but can only find them on e-bay for about $90.00!! So we'll see. I bid on one of them and was already outbid. I seriously do not want to pay a $100.00 for this thing. But Karenza wants this from Santa, so I have some time to try and find it cheaper.

Today we put up our Christmas tree. It is so pretty. While we were putting it together it started to snow. I got goose bumps, and knew that my Grandpa was looking down on us as we were putting it together. Christmas is my most favorite holiday, and this is our first holiday without him. It will be a hard one. Karenza was such a good helper with the Christmas tree. We have an artificial tree, and she is just getting so big! She was careful, and was helping with the lights and even help put the balls & ribbon on the tree. I am really anal about my Christmas tree. It is all in red and silver and then I wrap my Christmas presents to match my Christmas tree. So the only wrapping paper I buy is red and silver and then red and silver bows as well. It looks really pretty. I took some pictures, but am too lazy to upload them to my computer right now. Maybe later in the week.

Thanksgiving went really well. I got up at about 8:30am and starting making the meal. It was done and ready to eat at about 12:20pm. It was my first Thanksgiving meal I have made for my family. I have made it for just Randy and I when we lived in Seattle, and I have gotten better. I will not blog about my first Thanksgiving dinner I attempted to make for Randy, but it is one story him and I will always have! :-) Anyway, this year was a little better. Everyone had seconds, and ate again about 6pm so it must have been worth eating! I was certainly stuffed and ate my fair share. We watched football all day, and played cards. It certainly was a fun relaxing Thanksgiving. Hope yours was as fun and relaxing!!

Can't believe Christmas season is here already! Yeah!!!

Dad's Holiday Party

This past weekend was certainly busy. Friday my Dad had his Holiday/Customer Appreciation Party at the Doublewood Inn (where Randy and I had our wedding reception). I got my hair done at about 12pm, and then met Randy and Karenza at home. We packed up and checked into the hotel. I picked our babysitter up at 5:30pm, so that if Karenza wanted to leave the party and go swimming there was someone to go swimming with her. Which was the case, she found a friend really quick at the party to dance with. Dad had a band, and she loved it. Saturday I had a bridal shower to go to in the afternoon, and on Sunday Mom and Dad took pictures with the girls for their Christmas cards. They all matched wearing black and pink and they turned out beautiful. Can't wait to get them back. Also on Sunday, Randy had his first basketball tournament at Bismarck High School. His first game was at 8am. They ended up winning all of their games, and played for the championship on Sunday night at 7pm. So I was able to go to this game, and they look really good and they ended up winning the tournament!!

We are having Thanksgiving, and Holly, Jeremy and the Girls are coming tonight to stay with us. I finally switched my office into an extra bedroom and a playroom for Karenza. With Christmas approaching I seriously have to go through her toys because I don't have much room left for them. But anyway, Holly and I will be doing some shopping on Black Friday as our usual tradition. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and are able to spend time with the ones you love.

Below are a few pictures of our weekend:

Karenza on her roll-away bed and Randy taking a quick snooze

Look at all that hair! So beautiful!!!

Karenza and her babysitter Tasha dancing. Cassidy is in the background

Dancing with Tasha and Cassidy.

Dancing with her little friend

Randy coaching

The Champions (even Karenza had to be in the picture)

Short Update

This past weekend seems like a blur, and without working during the week my days seem to run all together. This past weekend we had friends over for the UFC fight that was on Pay-per-View. I woke up Saturday morning and started cleaning and cooking. I didn't sit until 7:00pm!! My feet hurt so bad from standing on my tile floor I finally had to put my shoes on!! I think I committed to making too many things at once, but my house is now really really clean!! :-) There were plenty of leftovers and I knew Holly and Jer were coming to Mom and Dad's on Sunday to stay overnight because Holly had a meeting in Bismarck on Monday. I took all the leftovers over there so that they would get eaten. Holly, Mom, Cassidy, and I went shopping for a little dress for Addie for Dad's Customer Appreciation this Friday. They had a great sale at Herberger's and I got a few Adidas and Nike outfits for Karenza off the clearance rack! It was fun spending the afternoon with them. On Monday I went and helped Mom watch Addie as she started to not feel well. I went and got Karenza from daycare and we then went to pick up Cassidy from school (she doesn't start her new school until December 1st.) After I picked up all my girls I asked them if we should stop for ice cream and so I took them through McDonald's and we all got Mcflurries. It was nice spending that time with all my girls too!! No luck in the job department yet. I have applied for 6 jobs, and no one has called me back yet so I'll keep plugging away and hopefully I will find something soon. Although I am still enjoying my time. I am having Thanksgiving this year. I have never had Thanksgiving. Randy and I have had it when we lived in Seattle by ourselves, but not where I cooked and others came to my house. Holly and Jer will be spending the night with us as Jer works Friday, and Holly and I will be hitting the stores for the start of our Christmas shopping. Mom and Dad will be gone over Thanksgiving they had a great opportunity to go to Nevada with some friends as a special airline deal they had going on. That will be fun for them, and we will have fun at my place. Grandma will be spending the day with us. If the weather is nice she said she may head to Carmen's place for a little bit to spend sometime with them. Hopefully the weather will be nice. So I have now been planning my Thanksgiving menu.

Hope all is well!
Miranda

Conversation Between Karenza & Me

Below is a conversation between Karenza and me this past week:

Me: "Karenza, we are going to clean your room today, and get organized in your room a little bit."

Karenza: "But, Mom, my arm and leg hurt really bad!"

Me: "Well, then I guess Mommy can go through your toys and give them to some nice kid who help's their Mommy clean their room"

Karenza: "Fine then, I am moving out."

Me: "Oh really? Where are you moving too?"

Karenza: "Papa & Grandma's house, but can you pack my bag and drive me there 'cause I don't know how?"

Me: "You wouldn't be sad to leave Mommy?"Karenza: "Okay, fine then I'll stay!"

She also had informed me that her brothers have died. I am sure I have blogged before about her "brothers" they are her imaginary friends and they drive her absolutely nuts. She is always yelling at them, and I am always having to discipline them. Anyway, she informed Randy and I that they died. She has new ones now called Toast and Butter, and they have cousins Muffin and Syrup. I mean I seriously couldn't even make this stuff up! The other night her and I were coloring in the chair and my cell phone rang. So I got up to answer it, and after I got off the phone she said "Mom, can I color on your page?" I said "No, honey you color on your own page" She said "Oh, well my brothers colored on your page." I said "I thought they died?" She said "Oh yeah, well, how did you know I did it?" I said "I didn't know you did it!" She said "Well Mommy I am sorry." Since she got caught in that then she got new brothers because she needed someone else to blame I guess.

I am watching Addie this afternoon while Holly and Jer sign papers for their house. Tonight Karenza is staying over night at Mom and Dad's. She was over at Mom's all day yesterday as Mom watched her and Cass and Addie. I helped Holly and Jer finish their house and we cleaned and vacuumed their whole house. It only took 4 hours, and it looks really nice. Holly and I had fun and we laughed and giggled the whole day! Mom had made supper for us after we finished and when Holly and I went over there Dad had just got home from work. Well, the girls were so wild and loud (they all three are ridiculous when they see each other) Karenza wanted to stay last night. Well, Mom had a funeral to go too today and so we planned for her to stay over night tonight. So she should be happy when I pick her up from daycare tonight.

Hope all is well.~Miranda

Long Over Due:

I have been busy and haven't had an extra minute to sit down and upload my photos. So since today is a snow in day, from the blizzard and almost a foot of snow we received yesterday, I thought I'd upload some photos from the past couple weeks:

Addie getting baptized a couple weekends ago. Karenza thought she needed to be in the picture with the sponsors as well.
Karenza's painted pumpkins from daycare

Karenza's Halloweens Costume

In her cop uniform with her billy club and all

What an adorable cop she makes

And handcuffs and all, which by the way, I got stuck in without Randy home! I didn't know that it took a key to unlock I thought that they didn't really click either. So I let her put them on me, and the cuffs close until they are tight on your wrists. I have never had a pair of handcuffs on me ever, and I was kind of panicing because they hurt. Karenza's eyes got really huge, and she did try and help me out of them. No more hand cuffs for this Mama!!
My 30th Birthday Party

There was a pole up at the front of the bus, and I was singing Karoke, and the cooler is by me as well. It was a fun time at the casino. In two days I won $900 between playing the jars, and the craps table so it was a very nice birthday.

So there they are, pictures from the past couple weeks. I have been busy rearranging our living room and our bedroom these last few days. Randy received his money for coaching this season, and so we decided to buy a new TV for our living room with it. I love our new TV. We decided on a 50" Plasma TV. I hated our other TV setup and it was driving me nuts. I have been rearraging everything hanging up new pictures of Karenza and hanging up curtains in the living room. Today I picked up Karenza's room, and either later today or tomorrow I need to organize the laundry room. I haven't even touched my office. I just have shut the door. I'll get to it one day.

And one more thing below. I have been watching Addie for a couple weeks for Holly and Jer and below is a video of her on one of the days I was watching her this week. She is getting so big, and smiley. I miss having her smiley happy face around. Guess that means only one thing for me! ;-)