Another year down... how many more to go??? Who knows!

Just wishing Chuck a VERY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I just wanted to let everybody know that today is Chuck's birthday!!! #34 to be precise... sorry Chuck, well, kinda! So wish him a happy b-day here (leave a comment) or give him a call (if you know his number)!

Chuck (aka- Charlie Bob... Dyson)...

I hope you have a great b-day and hope you have enjoyed each day of your birthday week! I'm so glad that you noticed me and that you asked me to marry you! I'm the luckiest woman alive! You are so kind to me. You are very helpful around the house and with the kids. I appreciate all you do for our family to provide for us as well as supporting me going back to school. I know it can't be easy, but I sure do appreciate you! Even with your quirks (singing what you want to speak... heehee), I love every bit of you! Just wanted you to know how much I love you and care for you... oh- and I think (ok... I know) you are HOT!!!

Love forever... -K-

Yes... I'm crazy!!!

I started a new blog this past week and just got it all up to date! Go check it out!

www.melsersdaybyday.blogspot.com

Wacky Hair Day

So my kids participated in Wacky Hair Day at school (yeah... back in November). Tyler asked Maddy if he could wear her Hannah Montana wig... she was nice and said yes. As for Maddy we did a ton of ponytails all over her head. Macee just has bedhead... she's wacky all the time!

Watch-out!!! There's a bear out there!!!

Tyler received his Bear rank advancement at November's Pac Meeting. I was unable to attend (school night), but Grandma & pa Rowley said they would go and support him for me. It was neat because this was the last Pac Meeting Chuck would be the Cubmaster for (new calling for him now). I'm glad he was able to be the one to give him this advancement. I think it makes it special. So... in the pictures, Tyler is eating a "Bear Claw" (you know the pastry).

YEA TYLER!!!

Twilight... Is it too late???

So I'm finally posting pictures from the midnight showing of Twilight. We went w/ Fawn & Devon (who's surprised???). We got food to eat and we played games until it started. It was a fun night. I love to go to midnight showings. It is a great date night for all you who are looking for something fun and different!

Me & Fawn!!!

Chuck & Devon...

The floor where we were! Games are FABULOUS!!! Oh- and I snuck my Sonic cup in... insulated cups are better than plastic ones!

Christmas Holiday Re-cap...

I'm going to recap our Christmas celebrations... I'm not posting many pictures... but did decide to post a few!!! So here we go!!!

We really enjoyed the Christmas season this year. We celebrated as usually with Chuck's family in between Thanksgiving and Christmas... therefore we celebrate "Thismas"... fun, huh? We did a dinner and a "Game Gift Exchange". Each person (young and old) brought a wrapped game and then we did the traditional white elephant gift exchange rules. It was fun and I think we all got into it!

We celebrated with my family (the Rowley's) the Sunday before Christmas. We had breakfast for dinner (goes over really well with the kids) and then did a gift exchange... we all drew names. It was fun because Garrett (3 yrs old) had me. He picked out my present all by himself... a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper, a gift card to the Scrapbook store and a balloon blower-upper. I loved it! And Macee had Billy (my brother)... he told me, let her pick out whatever she wants to give me and you know I will love it. I was afraid she would pick out a barbie or pony, but she surprised me! I asked her what she wanted to get him and she said "Shooter guns... like... POP... in my eye... the marshmallows." So it was Marshmallow guns Chuck helped her make and she gave Billy 6 guns plus ammo (mini-marshmallows). Everyone was way excited about what they received and we had a great time (as a re-united family!!!)

We had Christmas with Grandma Nichols on the Monday before Christmas... dinner, presents, LOTS of kids and TONS of fun! I really enjoy getting together with my Papa cousins! We don't do it often enough. So when we do get together we enjoy it!

We celebrated with the Mortensens a few times this year. We decided that instead of exchanging gifts we were just going to spend time and make memories together. I hope this turns into a tradition because it was so nice to spend time and enjoy our BESTEST friends ever! We took a Saturday and got together in the afternoon and we decorated cookies with the kids to be delivered to grandma's & grandpa's and also to be eaten by us! But before the decorating began us moms had a gift for each kid. We made them their very own aprons. They loved them. And they were all unique, each to match that kid. It as fun! Then we had a yummy "Taco Salad" Christmas dinner. Then we were off in the "bus" to deliver cookies, sing to our grandma's & pa's and go light looking! We came back to our house, got the kids ready for bed and then put a movie on for them and played cards til LATE (I think it was past 1am...). We sure enjoyed that day with the Mortensens. Then we went with them to Christmas Eve breakfast (a second year tradition) at Hometown Buffet. We had a great time! Thanks for the fun Mortensen's!!!

Then for Christmas we went to Thatcher to spend the holiday with Chuck's parents. We left on Christmas Eve so we could wake-up Christmas morning and hope Santa found us! And that he did. We sprinkled Reindeer food out (thanks Griners) and left cookies, milk and CHEESE... He found us and left some fun stuff! We had a great Christmas this year. And we even woke up to a sprinkling of snow on the ground. So we put baggies on the kids feet and let them play outside for awhile. Chuck even made a little snowman. So fun! Thanks mom & dad for letting us spend Christmas with you guys! While we were there we visited my cousin Kristen and her family and also went to dinner with the DeSpains... friends from down there. It was quite a fun weekend.

And New Years Eve we spent with Billy & Karen, Fawn & Devon, Katie & Renny, Peter & Ruth and lots of kids. We went to B&K's house and we set out a nacho bar, junk and drinks and we played games into the night... celebrating with sparklers and firecrackers at 10pm and playing games again until mid-night. We had a great time and enjoy the company of all who were there. My kids were super excited they actually lasted until mid-night.

So there is the holidays in a quick re-cap.

In Memory of Grandpa Nichols

Every New Years Day we head to the cemetery and visit my Grandpa Nichols grave site (his birth date... Jan 1, 1924). Grandma Nichols brings "fresh" flowers (meaning silk) and we clean up the headstone and take pictures. This tradition goes way back from when I was a child and we are continuing the tradition with my grandma's great-grandchildren.

Pictured here are only part of the great-grandchildren... we were missing 9. What a great legacy to be a part of. As we were taking pictures, my grandma was just taking it all in and seemed quite pleased of the family she has. I love my Grandma Nichols- she has always been there for me in my life. When I grow up I want to be just like her!

It's done... well almost!

I have been working on a bedspread for our California King bed since the summer of 2007 and I'm FINALLY done... well, I have to still sew a couple of spots I accidently snipped through the thread and then take it to the laundry mat to get washed up! I'm so excited and wanted to share my JOY!!!

My Little Singer

My sweet little Maddy LOVES to sing. So we have been working on her learning to not be shy (I know... Maddy, shy???) and sing in front of people. I think she did a FABULOUS job and wanted to share. Leave a comment for Maddy if you would like to!

No Wonder the Sink Won't Drain!!!

So the sink in my kids' bathroom takes FOREVER to drain. So Chuck decided to see what the problem was. He took out the trap (I think that is what it is called... it looks like a "J") and here's what we saw!

GROSS!!!

Contents... a toothbrush, a tube of chapstick, a lid for some lip gloss, popcorn kernels and a HUGE hairball (the black lump...). It stunk so bad! Thanks Chuck for fixing the sink! You are fabulous!

Sleeping Beauty

One year ago today I lost this sweet little girl from my life. Dakota Marie Madsen was my niece. She was born Dec 21, 1999, just 10 months after her older sister, Teriann. She was such a sweet little girl. She had killer smiles for you and hug just when you needed one. In October of 2007, she suffered a seizure while at school. She was taken to the hospital where they found a tumor on her pituitary gland. She had it removed and was making a great come back until Spinal Meningitis hit her.

The doctors didn't know if she would survive or not... but she came through, although not unscathed. She could no longer talk, walk, or eat on her own, she needed help with everything. Macee and I went up to the hospital a couple days a week to read to her and sing to her. We loved our visits with her. I grew so close to "Koda" (as Macee called her) by visiting so much... she almost felt like one of my kids. I could always get a smile from her... and soon she would squeeze my hand. I would squeeze her hand 3 times as I said "I Love You" (one squeeze for each word) and one day I got three squeezes in return. I knew that she knew and understood everything going on around her... she just couldn't say a word. We really enjoyed visiting her through the Christmas holidays... we all went up (Chuck's family) to visit her during our "Thismas" celebration and decorated her room. Macee and I took her on wagon rides around the hospital. I remember talking with the nurses about how well she was doing. She was getting ready to be moved to the physical therapy section of the hospital and getting ready to come home... but Heavenly Father must have had a different plan... He wanted her to go home... to Him.

I remember clearly that Saturday... we had gotten home from a trip to the Polar Express and I was in bed and Chuck came in and told me Dakota had a heart attack. In my mind I didn't understand it... how could she have a heart attack??? She was getting better. I cried and cried and told Chuck I needed to go see her first thing the next morning. He agreed and then I tried to go back to sleep, only to have Chuck come in and tell me Dakota had passed away. Her poor little body could not take anymore. I had a really rough time with this. I had never had someone close to me pass away. I felt like I lost my own child. We had become so close over those past couple months. I don't know how I made it through, but I did. I imagined Dakota being free from the body that held her captive here on this earth. I imagined her in heaven picking flowers and dancing... while wearing a pink dress (her most favorite color). I knew she was surrounded by family that had passed before her... how could she not be taken in and loved? She was a sweetheart! I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. I know that her time was up on this earth. Whatever her mission was, it was complete. If it wasn't complete, we would still have her here with us today. I'm grateful that I got to be a part of her life... that I got to know such a sweet and loving girl. She has made me want to be a better person and to push myself to do more. It is because of her that I decided to push myself to finish with my Nursing degree. Who knows, maybe she is up in heaven helping me along... wouldn't that be a nice thought. I just wanted to pay my respects to a little girl who helped me live, love and learn. I will always miss Dakota, but I'm grateful for the Plan of Happiness and that one day I will be able to see and be with her again. I just hope I can live worthy of that promise!

Our "Sleeping Beauty"

Sleeping Beauty was Dakota's favorite princess, I like to call her my Sleeping Beauty!

A fun tag!!!

Five names you go by:
1) KaraLyn
2) Mom
3) Mommy
4) Ke-la-lyn
5) Kalan… not that I go by it, but my brother sure finds it funny!


Three things you are wearing right now:
1) big (way too big), comfy, comfy pants
2) cami
3) underwears


Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1) a treadmill in my house
2) for someone to organize and declutter MY room!


Three people who may fill this out: (here's hoping!)
1) Fawn
2) Karen (haven't heard from you in awhile!)
3) ???


Two things you did last night:
1) took a shower and put on the afore mentioned clothes
2) laid on my couch and watched DVRed shows from Discovery Health


Two things you ate today:
1) nothing yet… it’s only 8:30am!
2) …


People you last talked to on the phone:
1) Tyler… letting me know he got to his friends house OK
2) my mom


Two things you are going to do (or already did) today:
1) wash my dishes
2) go out to the desert to celebrate my dad’s B-day! (#57)


Two of the longest road trips:
1) Mesa to Yellowstone
2) Mesa to Las Vegas and then Salt Lake (fun first long road trip w/ Chuck!)


Three of your favorite beverages:
1) DR. PEPPER (if you didn’t know that you don’t know me very well!)
2) flavored water (don’t really like plain water much!)
3) milk… (it does a body good!)


Now I tag anyone who wants to do this! (Come on... everybody's doing it!!!)