Family wedding in Fresno...no Selma...no Madera...I have no idea where we were!

McDonald Family - October 2008
Landon, me, and Emily
My little man and I....I'm so in love with that one!
My little girl is growing up so fast.....sigh
Kickin it in the hotel room.  Always fun to stay in a hotel.

Duane's cousin Jeremy got married somewhere near Fresno.  We drove all over the area and hit 4 or 5 different cities, but we had a good time with his family.  Here we are getting reading for the wedding.

WICKED!

WICKED!

For my birthday, Duane took me to see Wicked.  I was so excited because we ended up going with a big group.  So, my college roommate Jessica, her husband Kevin, my mom and dad, Jeff, Diane, Hannah, and Duane and Emily and I went.  Not only was the musical AMAZING, Emily and Hannah were so darling.  Emily kept saying, "I can't believe I'm in Hollywood, California."  It was a fun night and we have fallen in love with the musical.  In fact, Emily will be Elfaba for Halloween.  Stay tuned for those pictures.
Mom and I
Duane, Emily, and I on Hollywood Blvd.  Yes, in Hollywood, California.
Emily and Hannah
Emily on a star....just waiting for her name to be added :-)
At Ruby's before we went.

More retreat pictures

2008 Retreat team... Susan, Diane, Me, Heather, Monica, and Dana.
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"  Can't believe we actually did that in front of EVERYONE!

Our speaker, Amberly Neese, and I.

Women's retreat!

At the Mineral Springs...a bunch of us de-toxing!
My sister and I.
My life-long friend, Heather and I.
My girls...in our annual Charlie's Angels pose.

OK, so fast-forwarding through the first full month of school, past my 33rd birthday, and to the end of September takes us to the Women's Retreat at my church.  This is the 2nd year I have been on the retreat planning team and led worship.  This year was especially fun because the retreat team are my closest friends, and our speaker was one of my mentors and friends.  I schlepped the keyboard, cord, amp, and mics to the retreat and we had a great weekend...being kid free, not cooking or cleaning, laying out, cause it was in the 90's, laughing, being stupid, staying up too late, and just...being girls.  Here is the first batch of pics.

I'm back!

Hi everyone!  Ok, so I realize it's been over two months since my last blog.  Julie commented on my Wall on Facebook and guilted me into resuming my blog. (thanks Julie :-) , so here I am.  to catch you up, I am obviously back in school, but this year has been the most challenging I have had in a long time.  I have very special needs/low achieving kids in both my sophomore and junior classes and I come home physically, but mostly emotionally drained.  165 "NEEDY" kids really takes it out of you.  And then, I have a beautiful family to be there for, which is hard at the end of the day. So, I have been doing what I can to take life day by day.  Facebook has become my friend, because it is a QUICK way to keep caught up.  But, since I have some downtime before the week begins again, here I go with a quick catch up on the last couple of months.  Enjoy...and pray for me!

Piano pup!

I am most definitely a dog person. Perhaps that means I'm needy, but I love the fact that my dog feels the need to lay at my feet whenever I am still. Landon took this picture of me...practicing so I'm ready to lead worship at our Women's Retreat next month. I didn't know he took it, and it's pretty blurry, but I didn't realize that I was playing the piano, and using the sustaining pedal, around  Molly's body! I'm so used to her being there, that I hope I can play without her! She lays at my feet when I cook, when I blow dry my hair, and follows me in and out of every room in the morning when I am getting ready. I trip over her going up and down the stairs, which is annoying, but you've gotta love her devotion. She's pretty cute!

Madsen-Waage-Sheets reunion!

I have been blessed to have special memories with several families from the church I grew up in. The Madsens and the Waages are among some of those families. I have known them since birth and think of them as second parents, and their kids as extended family. We used to get together every month or two for a day at the beach, complete with bonfire, s'mores, and butt charades! (don't ask) Since we are all grown up, we have had a harder time getting together, but were able to have a quick get together. We were missing several from the Waage crew, but the Madsens and Sheets were in full force and we all had a great time. Hopefully we can do it again soon, and Camille, I'LL bring the s'mores stuff :-) The "kids" - Kerry, Diane, Me, Robyn, Erik and Erik, Camille, and Joe. Duane and Jeff were off playing...or just avoiding the photographers :-)
Erik and Erik, and me..... still joined at the hip?????
The girls....Kerry and Camille have become dull-fledged members of this deranged family :-)
Landon and his S'more!
The Leprchauns! Camille and I! Good angle on the picture Erik!