Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009~A Year in Review~July thru December

Ok...here we go with the rest of 2009. Enjoy!!

July
The month of July started out with a family trip to Cincinnati  to watch the Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Since we were going all that way, I decided to add a trip to the Newport Aquarium to the mix. Mary, Rob's mother, Andre', Rob's nephew and his brother, Cody all made the trip with us. The boys loved the aquarium and we enjoyed the game even in the rain. (I wanted to add a picture, but had already moved them off of the computer and didn't want to go to the trouble of adding them once again. If you want to see pictures from our Cincinnati trip, you can read about it here.)


(You can view a picture of Connor right after recieving 1st place in one of his events if you read here.)

Swim meets continued until the regional meet which was held at our club pool. What an experience!! The meet was held on the only day in the month of July that was very, very cool.

August
As usual August brought with it the beginning of a new school year. Keaton started 2nd grade. Connor started 3rd grade. We continued to visit the pool as often as we could and adjusted to the new amount of homework Connor began having as a 3rd grader. I had to adjust to teaching 3 different grade levels at once.


September
When I went back to find pictures for the month of September, I couldn't find any. As I began wondering why there were NO pictures, I started thinking about how busy I was during the month. Keaton started his 3rd semester at the Kelly Autism Program at WKU and his 5th year at the Communications Clinic for speech. (Each semester he goes to WKU four days a week-2 for KAP and 2 for speech.) I was still busy learning and planning our new instructional model at school as well as getting used to teaching 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. We also celebrated my 34th birthday with good friends at Shogun. Man love that food and the company was great too. Can't wait until another visit to Shogun.


After giving it some more thought, I realized the real reason there weren't any pictures in September. One day when I was in the shower, sneaky Keaton took my camera out of my purse to take a few shots hiimself. (He loves to take pictures of the television screen for some reason.) When I tried off and figured out what he had done, the camera (the one I had just gotten back in June for our anniversary-3 months old) wasn't working. The lens was stuck out. I tried everything I could to repair it but nothing worked. I finally gave up and contacted the company. I was to send it back for repair. Well, I didn't get to it right away for some reason. One evening I sat down to finally box it up for shipping and turned it on, Guess What!! IT WORKED!!

October

In October we spent Fall Break in Gulf Shores, Alabama with our friends, the Johnsons. The boys as well as the adults had a great time. This was our first trip with the Johnsons, family of five. We stayed in a two bedroom condo and made the most of it. We had lots of fun with five boys ages 8 and under. We played in the sand, caught jelly fish in the ocean, swam in the pool, went out to eat, and watched almost all of the Star Wars movies. It was a great time with good food, good times and good friends.

We also made our annual visit to Jackson's Orchard just before Halloween. I love those caramel apples and the boys love to play on the hay maze.

We also spent one very cold Saturday morning at the Austim Awareness Walk. Rob went ahead of us and ran. We met up with him for the family walk. It was extemely cold but very much worth the effort. While there we purchased a corn hole set made at the Kelly Austim Center for Rob's 40th birthday. The boys really enjoy playing corn hole with their Dad.

The boys each dressed as characters from Star Wars for Halloween. Connor was Aniken Skywalker and Keaton was Captain Rex. Both costumes where from Star Wars the Clone Wars, not the movie.

October was "Spooktacular"!!

November



November was an exciting month. Not only did we get together with family and friends for Thanksgiving, but we also watched Connor play flag football with the Upward league. This was only his second year to play. I may actually start catching onto the game if he continues. He enjoyed it, but I'm not so sure I want to him to play tackle. We'll see what happens next year.

We also got to watch Ceceley play basketball here in BG.  She has played for several years but we haven't always been able to watch her play. We marked our calendar to make sure we make every game she or Codie play in BG.

I was able to watch the New Moon movie with great friends. We started planning our movie night long before tickets went on sale. Cheri preordered our tickets and we bought our shirts. We even gathered at Cheri's house the Sunday night before the big event to watch Twilight again and play Twilight Scene It. We had an awesome time even if we did stand outside in the cold.

November was really a month to be "thankful".

December


December was a festive month. We celebrated the birth of our Savior with our traditional gathering at my Granny's house as well as at our house with Rob's mother, Mary. Before break began, Keaton began very fasicinated with Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  When he brought Chicka Chicka Boom Boom home from the school library, he took it out of  his backpack as soon as he got home and placed it on his book shelf. It was the first book he took out of his backpack on his own this school year. When I gathered it up to put back in so that he could return it to school, he carried it right back upstairs. When we finally got it back to school, he checked it out again and brought There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly home with it. So, we made sure that he recieved his own personal copy as a gift. It was so much fun listening to him read and recite the stories over and over. Although he still loves movies, at least he is beginning to show interest in things other things.

Connor finally got his hands on the fourth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book he had been wanting for ages weeks. I'm sure it felt like ages to him. He wasn't able to get it during his schools regular book fair. By the time my school hosted their bookfair, it was out in paperback. I made sure to get a copy and put it  up for Christmas. Anytime we saw a copy at Wal-Mart, Target or where ever we may have been, he wanted it. "It's too close to Christmas." was my response each time. He was so excited when he opened it. He started it the very next day, but with all the excitement of Christmas festivities, he hasn't gotten very far. I'm sure he'll get back to it soon.


Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2009~A Year in Review~January thru June

WARNING: This is the first of a two part blog entry. It is also a long post.

As the year winds down and the new year approaches, I wanted to take a moment or two and reflect on events of 2009. What better way than to post a few picts to capture the highlights of the year! So here goes....

January
We started January off like we do every year by celebrating Connor's birthday. He is a New Year's Baby and hates that saying. His birthday party was once again at the ROC at First Baptist. Lots of room to play and have great fun.



Connor's basketball season got in full swing this month. With Rob as his coach, he had a great time playing with his team.


February
Connor started taking guitar lessons. He enjoyed it but they only lasted until baseball practice started. A mom can only get the kids to so many places at once. Keaton started back to KAP two days a week and speech two days a week.

Connor and I worked together with our creative skills to make a Valentine robot instead of a Valentine box. What great fun we had.


March
This year we celebrated Keaton's birthday with a party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was the first time we invited friends from school to one of Keaton's parties. He LOVED it. Pizza, presents, friends and birthday cake all in one place. What more could a kid ask for, especially a kid who loves pizza and birthday cake!!


March was a really big month for Keaton. He actually got a haircut for the first time without having to be restrained!! He hates getting his hair cut and until this visit, it was a very difficult task.

April
We had a great family gathering for Easter at my Granny's house. The weather was great and the kids got to climb the climbing tree. It's the very same tree that my cousins and I climbed when we were young. My boys love it. Wish we had one in our yard.


Baseball season really gets rolling in April. The boys and I spent Saturday, April 18th at the Bowling Green Hot Rods baseball game in recognition of Autism Awareness Day. It was our first visit to the new stadium.



Connor's practices also started this month and opening day for his league was April 25th. Once again Rob was able to coach Connor's team. They played a great first game opener and earned their team the first win of the season.



May
During the month of May, we continued with baseball practice and with games. The team was really having a good season. We began looking forward to the end of the school year and the summer ahead.

As we were wrapping up one school year and looking toward the next, I learned that I would have a new teaching partner. Cheri and I would be joined by Jennifer Johnson. We would all be using a new approach and teaching 3rd, 4th and 5th graders as a unit.

June
Along with warmer days, June brought with it much fun. The Yankees, Connor's team, continued to play well and they advanced to the Division II playoffs held at WKU. Although they lost that game, they placed 5th overall. It was an awesome season.

The boys and I hit the pool as often as we could and then some. We decided to take the opportunity to find out about the swim team at Southland. Although only Connor competed in events, both boys practiced everyday from 9-10. There were a few times Connor was ready to hang it up and call it quits but that isn't allowed in our home. So he hung in there and loved it. We can't wait to do it again next summer. We're even thinking about joining a year round swim team. Guess we'll see how this next summer goes first.



Robert and I also celebrated our 11th anniversary with a nice dinner out just for the two of us and purchased a new camera. (That was mostly for me.)



***After I began gathering pictures and writing about each month, I realized how big a project this was and just how big a post I was making. So I decided to divid it into two seperate posts.***

August thru December coming to a blog near you soon. They will be joined by their dear friend, July. Thanks to Jennifer for the reminder. Must have gotten carried away and left it out.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Connor's Recipe for a Ho Ho Happy Christmas

Connor's Recipe for a Ho Ho Happy Christmas (as written for a 3rd grade writing assignment)
From the Kitchen of: The Creek Family
Serves: 5

Ingredients:
3 pecks of friends
3 tsp. of hugs
1 room full of presents
1 pint of joy
8 gallons of happiness
8 reindeer thumping on the roof of a house full of family
1 plate full of colored lights

Instructions:
Mix 3 pecks of friends and a house full of family. Pour 1 pint of joy into the mix bowl. Now stir. Combine 1 plateful of colored lights and 3 tsp. of hugs. Dump it on your Christmas tree. Now put 1 room full of presents under the tree. Reheat the 8 gallons of happiness and pout in five cups, one for you, one for your brother or sister, one for you dad, one for you mom and one for Santa. When your done, listen for 8 thumping reindeer on the roof and that's your Ho Ho Happy Christmas.

Should have posted this sooner. Couldn't resist when I found it in his school bag.


Saturday, December 26, 2009

A Very Merry Christmas!

We have had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS indeed!


We began our Christmas celebration on Wednesday night. Robert and I had a nice dinner at Montana Grill and afterward exchanged gifts with his mother. The boys were so excited to finally get to open a present.






We spent the early part of Christmas Eve getting ready to head to my Granny's for our traditional Christmas Eve gathering. I did a few last minute errands and the boys played with their new toys.

Some time ago, my grandparents started hosting a family gathering on Christmas Eve. I cannot remember a Christmas Eve not spent at my Granny's house. I remember many Christmas gatherings as a child and want my children to have as many wonderful memories as I have. The one thing we failed to do this Christmas at Granny's was to get a group photo or at least small group photos. There are always so many people there that it would be impossible very difficult to get a shot with everyone. I was able to get a couple of family shots and a shot of each of my boys with their great-grandmother.


The Creek Family
(I had a better shot of Keaton but Rob was so hot in it. It's hard to get good shots of everyone.)


The Ford Family
(My sister and her family: Codie, Jonathan and Ceceley.)


Granny Hurt with Keaton

 
Connor and Granny



My sisters, Angie and Kacie

After dinner and presents at Granny's, we headed on to my dad's house where we spent the night in anticipation of Santa's arrival. On Christmas morning the boys were excited to see what Santa had brought. After checking out the loot, I headed back to bed while the boys played with their new toys. We spent a nice leisurely day at my dad's before having dinner with my Dad and sisters.


My nephew, Codie, and my sister, Angie


My brother-in-law, Jonathan, and Rob




Keaton has been crazy for books lately. He spent some time reading to Jonathan and Angie.


Connor and Keaton with their Papa, my Dad


My father and his wife, Ruby

We had a fantastic time visiting with everyone during Christmas. Tomorrow we will celebrate my nephew's 14th birthday and visit with some family friends for one more Christmas celebration. Next week we will celebrate Connor's 9th birthday. Man how time flies!! 

Until next time,

Finally Found a New Years Background

Ok....so, I love my 3 column format but find it difficult at times to find 3 coloumn blog backgrounds that I really like. I could get a customized background and header from one of the many talented people out there, but I kind of like being able to change my background as often as I like without spending any money. Anyway, I couldn't find a 3 column background for New Years that I really liked. So forgive me for just using a 2 column. Hope it isn't too difficult to read. I'll find a nice 3 column after the New Year arrives.

Getting ready to start working on a nice year in review post. Until then,

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Merry Christmas

The boys and I met up with our good friend Pam this evening to begin our celebration of the Christmas season.  We enjoyed each other' company and a nice dinner at Buckhead Cafe. Keaton was thrilled to receive The Princess Diaries 2 and Agent Cody Banks. He is such a movie buff. He goes crazy for movies anywhere, anytime. 

After dinner we headed over to the mall. The boys hadn't had a chance to see Santa and Pam was willing to wait in line with us. Believe it or not, there was NO waiting. NO line. We could hardly believe it. (Connor could have cared less about sitting in Jolly Old St. Nick's lap, but we made do it any way. Here are a few picts is a picture of the jolly visit. I would have posted the other but the quality wasn't any better than this one. (Please note that the photo was taken with my cell phone and NOT my regular camera. I can take much better photos with the real camera.)




Keaton let out a big, "HO, HO, HO!" as soon as he sat down. It was obvious he was glad to see Santa. 
We Wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!!

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Good Report

On our first official day off of school, Keaton had an appointment at Vanderbilt with Dr. McGrew. My sister, Angie, and I headed down with the boys. We had a nice lunch at Cracker Barrel along the way.

Keaton finally sat still long enough today to get his blood pressure read. That's a first. He was really good for his weigh in and height check. During his visit he was much calmer than previous visits. Dr. McGrew said that Keaton's blood work was good and that she wasn't really concerned yet about his weight gain. (We just need to monitor it and make sure he gets lots of exercise. It wouldn't hurt to offer more nutritious foods.) So.... she was pleased with everything and made no medication changes. It was a good report!!

During our visit today, Dr. McGrew mentioned another research study. We have previously participated in one study and now have the opportunity to participate in another. When we return in June for our next visit, we'll probably be making another stop while we're there. Hopefully one day, as a result of all the research, there will be a cure for Autism or at least a proven treatment plan.

Check out the services available at Vanderbilt for families with Autism.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Christmas Break Has Begun!!!

The end of a very busy week has arrived. I started the week out with some shopping and then went to watch my nephew play basketball. Tuesday night I made it to a chiropractor appointment, Christmas Dinner Theater at school and a late appointment at the Diagnostic Imagining Center. Before heading home I made a few stops looking for some extra fillers for our goodie bags at school. More shopping on Wednesday night along with wrapping presents for school and making homemade chocolate chip cookies for Rob to take to work the next day. On Thursday night Connor and I made it to my niece's basketball game, stopped at the store, and then I made two batches of fudge for Christmas parties at school. Last night after a very excitement filled day with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, we had our school Christmas party. Wow!! I'm a little tired just typing in all those things. Imagine how I actually felt after a week like that.

Today, the first day of break, I slept in a bit and hung out in my pjs for a while. I finally got the Christmas cards finished and in the mailbox. Too bad the mail had already run for the day. I guess they'll go out in Monday's mail. This afternoon we headed out with the boys to the mall for a brief stop and had a late lunch at Toot's. This evening my friend Jennifer and her oldest came over. We had pizza and watched an all time favorite, Gone With the Wind. Man it had been a while since I had watched that. I had just about forgotten why I liked it so much. So glad we decided to watch it again. It is truly an all time favorite.


What a wonderful movie!

So that is how I started my break. Tomorrow, I have got to start wrapping some presents and on Monday we are headed to Nashville for a doctor's appointment.

What is your all time favorite movie? I'd love it if you'd share. Apparently I have missed out on some good movies according to Jennifer. Maybe I can start getting caught up by watching your favorites.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Tis the Season

Tis the Season to be Jolly, giving, and busy.


We have had a great weekend. It started with holding some very cute babies on Friday night. The neighbors had hired a guy sitter for their kiddos. Chloe wasn't feeling well so we traded off. I sent him Connor and brought Chloe and Claire home with me. The girls were great. I actually watched two different movies for the first time in ages because I just sat in front of the tv holding babies. Connor and the boys next door had a blast with Michael the babysitter. They played all kinds of games and had some really good guy time.

On Saturday we invited friends over to begin celebrating the Christmas season. We enjoyed good food, homemade fudge, white chocolate covered pretzels, Christmas cookies, and games with great friends. I don't think we have ever had that many kids in our house before. They all got along and seemed to have a great time.

Today, my friend Jennifer and I got together to try out a new recipe we found over on Darby's blog. We had fun working together to make some Christmas goodies for others. If you like butter, you'll love this recipe. You should visit Darby and try out her recipe yourself. Delicious!!! Now, although we had fun and made some delicious butter, that doesn't mean the day went perfectly. You'll notice the powdered sugar on the floor in the picture collage. We didn't say we were perfect, just that we enjoyed ourselves.  We made the goodies, wrapped a few presents and had a great day.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

HP TouchSmart Giveaway!!

So I was checking out some of my favorite blogs when I came across this giveaway. Who can pass up entering a giveaway of something so AWESOME as an HP TouchSmart600 Computer? Not me. So here I am posting an entry about in on my blog just to earn a second entry.

You can visit MckMama's blog to find out more details to win or For more information, see the official site here.


This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older. The contest runs from today, December 9, 2009 until Christmas Eve. Winners will be announced then after having been selected via random draw and will notified by e-mail. Once I announce the winner, you will have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Go ahead. Check it out. Enter as many times as you can. Maybe one of us will win!!




Saturday, December 5, 2009

Busy Times

Well, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth as it may seem. I just haven't had time to write a well written post. I've been checking in and reading all the updates on my favorite blogs but didn't squeeze in a minute until now to write myself.

So, since the last time I posted, we sure have been busy. After having Thanksgiving here (well after finishing the school week of course) we headed to my Dad's and visited. On Thanksgiving day we enjoyed good food and good fun at my Granny's. (We always go to Granny's house on Thanksgiving Day.) I wasn't my usual camera snappin' self for some reason. Here is a shot of me and my sister that Connor took. I'll make sure to do a better job of photographing our Christmas gathering.
Rob and Keaton headed back to Bowling Green after lunch.


Connor and stayed to visit a little longer. Connor was able to enjoy some time playing with some cousins he doesn't see very often.

We really had a good visit and look forward to seeing everyone again at Christmas.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Believe it or not, the husband didn't have to work on Black Friday so I made plans to go shopping. This year the boys haven't asked for any really hard to get items. (Thankfully!) So we didn't head out too early. My friend Pam and I headed out about 8:00. I'm sure because of the late start I may have missed out on a really good deal or two. Oh well. We did take advantage of some good prices and enjoyed the day. Connor was dying to put up the tree when I returned home but I had to rest up.

Last Saturday we woke up to a beautiful day. The weather was warm and we took advantage of it. As I was preparing to get out the Christmas decorations, I also started cleaning out the garage too. We were able to get some things organized and by Sunday evening we had both our trees up and decorated, the mantal and other misc. decorations were in place and I even hung Christmas lights outside for the first time ever. What a weekend. Here are a few shots of our handy work.


This is the tree in our family room upstairs.

This is our tree downstairs in the den.
I posted it twice...once with flash and once without.
I just couldn't get over the difference the flash made.



The lights look much better in person,
but thought I'd share the picture anyway.

I'll try not to stay away so long next time. Until then,