Thanksgiving is over...its time to decorate for Christmas!

The pictures tell it all....I love this time of year!

Its ok, you can be jealous...

They may have cancelled their show in Portland on us, but there was no keeping us away from their tour. We quickly got online and bought tickets to the next closest show, in Tacoma! We made a short weekend of the trip, rode the train up Saturday afternoon, got a hotel, had some yummy dinner (unfortunatley no garden burgers???) and drinks, and then hailed a cab to the Tacoma Dome for the most AMAZING concert ever. So Ive had so many mixed reviews from people who heard I went. Ive gotten "Im soooooooo jealous!" to "Ewwwww"....you either loved them or hated them...and well, I LOVED them. I was telling my mom that to me, The New Kids are my generations Beatles. If the Beatles were to get back together for a tour my moms generation would be there in a heart beat..thats how I felt about NKOTB! The concert was so sureal. It just didnt feel like it was really happening it was so amazing! I wanted to cry when they came out on stage...it took me back to middle school in a flash. I know Im pathetic, but I dont care. hehe We had great seats, but scored even better seats because there was an open row a little closer to the stage than where we were...and when the gals next to poor Rosanna got totally sloshed and ended up spilling beer all over her we took advantage of the open seats and bailed on our old ones. Half way through the show they came half way down on the floor and sang on this rotating stage just in front of us. It was amazing! After the show we stood out by their busses, but they didnt come out to sign autographs...we were bummed. But its ok, Im not hating them for it..the show was plenty awesome alone. After the show Melissa and I took a cab to the casino and she showed me how to play some slots. We got in very late, slept very little, and got back on an early train home. I had a fantastic weekend with the gals, Melissa, Rosanna and Mendy. I couldnt have asked for a better group to hang tough with! And Im very thankful to have gone with my long time pal Melissa. We've known eachother since the 5th grade. We fell in love with New kids back in the day together which meant it was only perfect we went to this concert together almost 20 years later! Happy late birthday Melissa!!

Me and Melissa

Rosanna and her sister Mendy


They sang some oldies as well as the new songs, it was awesome!

This ones for Melissa!!! Joey Joe

And of course I took some short videos!!

Happy Birthday Daddy.

Tomarrow is my Daddy's 68th birthday. Its been over half my life since he passed away, but it seems like yesterday. I miss him dearly, but continue to celebrate his life every moment I can. Tomarrow I will be in an all day training with the American Cancer Society for the Relay for Life, so the boys and I decided to have Papa's birthday celebration a day early. We went and picked out some beautiful flowers and a birthday balloon, and this year added cupcakes to the event (courtesy of Eli's cute comment last year on Papa's birthday cake in heaven). We got to his grave, set up the balloons and flowers, then sang Happy Birthday and danced. When we got back in the car I handed out cupcakes to the boys and told them to make a wish for Papa and to share cupcakes with him. They pretended to throw cupcakes up to heaven to Papa, Eli insisted on throwing over and over and said that he wanted Papa to have extra's so he could save some for later (but reminded him to share with God). Im so happy we are able to celebrate his life with our boys in our own special ways. And the way they speak to and of Papa just warms my heart. The sincere love they show for him even though they never met him is amazing. Its especially hard to describe Eli's close bond to him in words that make sense. But a friend last year put it into better words than Ive ever been able to. That my Dad met Eli way before we ever did, and thats why Eli's bond is so strong. I couldnt have said it any better. Happy 68th birthday Daddy.

Here is a blog I posted last year on this date. I just read back on it and thought it was fun to read and thought Id share again....

Happy Birthday Daddy!
Ive come a long ways since I was 14 years old and my Daddy passed away. He had fallen in the hall on his way to the bathroom, mom and I helped him back to bed. She called his Dr. I remember standing in his bedroom doorway while she was in the living room on the phone, watching to see if his chest would rise with another breath, and mom running in and asking what I was doing, and her realizing that I was watching him..no longer breathing. She ran in, still on the phone with the dr., and checked his pulse. I was scared, confussed, sad, lost, in a panic, worried, etc. For years I would get so down and depressed every time I thought of him not being with us, especially on June 5th the day he passed. Why, it was so unfair.
Nine years later, the exact day Daddy passed away, I gave birth to Eli. I remember that first night after delivering him, I was holding Eli, he looked up at me and I totally saw my daddy in him. I lost it, bawled my eyes out. Something was telling me that he was with me, and proud to be a grandpa.
A year later, on Eli's first birthday, I remember waking up so sad. This was my sons first birthday, but also the anniversary of my daddys passing. All day long I would try to enjoy the day for Eli, but was constantly reminded that this was a day of passing as well.
We've always made trips to the grave yard with the kids. They know in pictures who he is. He may be gone, but they will always know how important he is and was. At about a year old, one time at the grave Eli just learning to talk, waved as we were leaving and said "Papa". We never said Papa, we said Grandpa to him...so this was his thing. And to me, I swear he was waving to Papa who had to be waving to him back because Eli was so young to have done that on his own. From them on, he was called Papa. He's always known exactly which head stone to go to, and is so excited to go there and take flowers, or a penny.
But it wasnt until his second birthday that I realized why Eli was given to us on that exact day of sadness. Daddy has been watching us for years, us all crying over that day. Him dying is not what his life was about and he wanted me to see that. June 5th is not a sad day anymore for me. Because June 5th is my sons birthday. From this Ive learned that I needed to celebrate my daddys LIFE not his Death. So I no longer wollow on the day he passed away, instead we celebrate Eli's birthday. Thats how daddy would have wanted it. Not to be sad he was gone, but to celebrate what we had with him. And he wouldnt want me to be sad on my sons birthday every year for sure. I feel that Eli was sent to me for many reasons. He sent us Eli to change the course of June 5th forever. No more saddness every year on that day...instead happiness. We visit Papa on holidays and everytime we are in the area. My kids love it! Eli has a great sense of direction and knows when we are in the area and asks to go see Papa. I love it. Mom and I have always believed that Papa talks to Eli, he just seemed to connect in a way thats so undescribable and honestly I feel like he has met him by the way he talks about him. It started at such a young age with his connection to my daddy so thats my only reasoning as to why he makes me believe he's with Eli. I guess really it makes no sense writting it out, sounds pretty confussing when I read back what I wrote. All I know is that Eli was sent to us with a greater purpose than many will ever realize or believe, but I believe it. I look in his eyes, I hear his words, and I see Daddy.
So we celebrate Papa's life now. Today is a day of celebration. Today is Daddy's birthday. Nov 15 1940 my Daddy was born. 67 years old today. The boys and I went to visit Papa this morning, took him flowers, and we all three sang happy birthday and danced next to his head stone while we sang. Im sure passer byers thought we were nutts. Being so happy at a grave yard, dont those wackos have any respect?? Then Eli so cutely said "goodbye Papa...eat lots of cake in heaven with God, see you next week". Three years ago going to his grave I would have left in tears holding my kids tight. But today, I left with a smile. Who couldnt smile over a birthday party in heaven?? Happy Birthday Daddy, eat lots of cake in Heaven. xoxo

Raking Fall colors

We'd been putting off raking the leaves for so long that they were begining to pack onto our drive way and were a slipping hazard getting into my car. So on a rainy yucky cabin fever day, we busted out the boots and rakes and went to work. The boys had a blast working in the yard in the rain..and I can only imagine how great it will be when they are older and can do it all while Im inside and warm. ;) My own little sweat shop. They had a great time, and even had some fun laying in the pile before it went into the yard debree.

What a goof ball.

I recently organized all the saved baby clothing and toys from the boys. I am cutting up some of them to make quilts for them. But with some of the clothing that I couldnt use for the blankets, and just couldnt part with...I gave them to the boys to use on their stuffed animals. One afternoon Eli woke up from nap and went into Zachs room. When I went in to see what was so funny, here I found Eli...wearing one of his 3 month sweat shirts cracking Zachary up. He went around the house all day wearing this...and acting as if he were a monkey (because thats what animal was wearing this on his bed before he put it on.) What a goof ball.

I love my boys

Im such a proud mommy. My boys are so many things that I wasnt outgoing enough to be growing up. They are so friendly, so outgoing, so kind, so sympathetic, so smart, so aware, so daring, etc....but my favorite trait on certain days, that trait that just makes me smile and remember the best feelings of being a parent...is when they are funny. But the days that they are funny and dont even mean to is even better. The innocent things they say crack me up. A few years ago at a camp out with all the Hertels, Eli refused to eat his steak and asked where the Tofu was...the camp went silent in confusion. Jake announced "thats Candys kid". Zach for some reason gets the word "letters" confussed with the word "neighbors". Were not sure why, because if you ask who lives next door to us he says "our neighbors". So he often asks "lets go to the mail box and get our neighbors"....or "can I put the neighbors in the mailbox this time?" Cracks me up every time. When the boys see a movie theater they get all excited and say "I love the movie theodore" Too funny. They have great speach, so its not about not saying things correctly they just mix things up sometimes. So last night we went to dinner at Nacho Mammas. Everyone always talks about how great it is, just this tiny little hole in the wall place between King City and Sherwood. So we stopped to have dinner and give it a try. It was ok, but still not our favorite mexican place. When we were looking over the menu I read they serve Cow Tongue. I asked Eli if he wanted that and he said YES. So we laughed and then discussed what was on the kids menu. When we order we always try to have the boys order their own meals to learn the proper way to do so. Well when I tell him go ahead and tell her what he'd like he replies in a VERY serious voice "I would like the pig tongue". Jake and I immediatley cracked up and the waitress says "what?" and I look at Eli and he's still straight faced. He really wanted the cow tongue I think! (and told me later I embarrased him by laughing when he ordered!) We didnt end up getting it for him, but told him some day we could try it and he said ok. Oh, I love my boys. They are so wonderfully amazing. Even if they do gross out their Vegetarian mommy by ordering tongue to eat.

I think we found his calling...

Last week a flyer came home in Eli's backpack from school, about a wrestling camp at the high school for grades K-5. The 4 day wrestling camp only cost $5, and turns out a few of Eli's friends from his soccer team were going so we decided to take Eli as well. All week long he kept asking "is it my night to go fight my friends at the high school yet?" I had to keep reminding him that we dont call it fighting, we call it wrestling. And no, we dont punch durring wrestling, we wrestle. :) So we show up last night at the High School, to a wrestling gym FULL of crazy little boys. Over 125 to be exact, all running around like crazy. It was so hot and sweaty and LOUD in there. They split up the boys by grade, and each grade had about 4 of the high school wrestlers to be their coaches. As you can kind of see in the pictures, there were a lot of kids in one tiny gym and by the end of the night even the parents just watching were sweating, and the High School wrestlers coaching were losing their voices from trying to yell over the rest of the camp to their own groups. After I left, my ears hurt like I had been at a loud concert all night. Eli was very excited to see his buddy from his soccer team, Cooper. Coopers Mom Kim was their soccer coach. Eli and Cooper are very similar in personality, both loving fun and CRAZY. They were often found at soccer practice wrestling on the field with eachother, so it was pretty ironic (not) that that chose eachother when it was time to pair up with someone their size to practice the moves that the coaches had tought them after warm up and stretch time. Coopers mom and I were both pretty excited to see how quickly they caught on to the actual moves in wrestling that they were shown. Some of the other boys just looked like they were dancing with eachother, or there were even the few who sat starring at eachother not sure of what to do. Our boys immediatley got down into position and went to town taking eachother out, the proper wrestling way! I was pretty proud of him.
He loved playing Tball, but the waiting around for his turn and the massive amounts of dirt on a baseball field...he played in the tempting dirt more than he focused on the game. Soccer he's always loved. He's played for 3 years now and looks foward to it alot, but he cant quite grasp the "not sharing" in a soccer game and thinks its mean to steal the ball from others...therefor he just does this silly wander around the field durring games on some days. He loves to wrestle Daddy and be tough. He has since the day he could crawl. He's such a tough kid, Mommy wont allow him to be rough with her because he's so stong I almost always end up hurt. We thought maybe football would be his thing some day taking down all the big guys with his skinny strength, but Im not sure he will let go of his sharring issue for that game, like in soccer. Last night...he proved that wrestling just may be his thing. A few of the adult coaches commented on how good they were and that we have two state champions in the making. I asked him on our way home if he had fun and he said yes. I asked if he wanted to do it more and he said yes. I asked if he liked wrestling more than soccer and he said ALOT MORE. So as long as he still enjoys this, we'll keep doing this over other sports I think. After this camp, were definatley signing him up for the actual team. Were worried that his height might someday hinder him from wrestling (wrestling isnt really known for 6 foot guys..but the Waibels are known for 6 foot tall guys), but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Until then, we'll let him wrestle his little heart out so he sleeps as hard as he did last night after we got home. Paying super close attention to one of his coaches (Eli is in the white shirt next to the coach)
Eli and cooper learning to shake before taking eachother down.
Gotta get under the oponents leg!

Take 'em out!

A little clip of Eli taking out Cooper.