Update

My girls have been keeping me very busy these days. I want to write an update about each of them.

Braigen: She gets up at 6:15, because the bus picks her up at 6:57. She is pretty good about getting up on her own. She likes to wait until the day before a paper is due to write it, even though she had 2 weeks. She really likes to come home and tell me how she got a 100% on that paper. I was clearly irritated with her for waiting until the last minute to write it. Not to mention the fact that the teacher will keep hers, and show it as an example to all of her other students:) I ran into my neighbor the other day, and she mentioned how we had the 2 highest readers in the 6th grade. Braigen had told me that she "scored off the charts", but my neighbor informed me that she is the top reader in the entire 6th grade(probably at least 300 students)! I am so proud
Braigen has been playing soccer for her middle school. It is a 6th-8th grade co-ed team, and they placed first on Friday night. They had a 2-1 victory against a team they had lost to previously. Talk about exciting, a great group of middle schoolers, feeling like they were celebrities that evening.


Braigen started playing the flute this year. She had her first concert, which she was very nervous about, last Thursday. She is growing up so fast, and really turning into a wonderful young lady. The concert was great, and she did awesome...even if I couldn't hear just her:)



















All of my girls started Karate over the summer. We had planned for it to just be a summer activity, but none of them were ready to give it up after summer was over. They all are making really great progress, and they tested for their high gold belt on Saturday evening. Braigen was surprised at testing, along with 2 other girls, by skipping her high gold, and moving right to her orange belt. She is an apprentice in the program, and they see huge potential for her. Again...I am so proud!



















Now...My Kali update. She is a great girl. She was recently accepted into the elementary peer pal group, where she will mentor a younger student. She is very excited about being chosen to participate, and can't wait to start working with the little girl they have selected for her. She is a born leader, and I know this role will fit her well. Kal celebrated her 9th birthday last month, and I really just can't believe how mature she is becoming. Her cake was made by my mom, and was as delicious as ever. They each get go pick what kind of cake they want my mom to make, and she always comes through for them.











She plays soccer also, and finally scored some points for her team this past Thursday. Greg coaches the team, along with my brother-in-law, Ryan. The season is over this week, with the final game being on Thursday. They have all done a great job.

Kali is part of the student council at her school, and got to participate in the local homecoming parade about a month ago. She was voted in by her class, and the school's student council walks in the parade and throws candy to the "crowds" of people! She loves being in the spotlight:)
I think I may have a cheerleader! Kali's school offered a program, where they could work with the high school cheerleaders. The group of girls met 3 times a week, for 3 weeks, teaching the girls cheers, and routines, so they could cheer at the high school football game. Kali was obviously not going to miss this opportunity, and when she ended up sick the day before the game, she was devastated. Luckily, her "bug" passed quickly, and she was able to go to school on Friday, and cheer that evening. She loved it, and BOY...was I proud!



















Kali tested in Karate on Saturday evening also. She now has a high gold belt. She did awesome in testing, and was pleased to continue moving up in the ranks. (Having your sister skip the high gold belt, proved to be difficult for her, but she did manage to congratulate her anyway!!)

Tia, Tia, Tia.....I think her job right now, is to be CUTE!! She also tested in Karate, and while her focus is not exactly stellar, she did manage getting her high gold belt...and she was thrilled. She is doing great in preschool, and has a little friend named Melayna, that she spends all of her time with. She loves purses, money, and shoes, and well she is perfecting CUTE right now...and I couldn't be more proud!!





















Now for myself...a very brief update:
In memory of our dear friend Maria who passed away almost a year ago, Deidra and I decided to cut our hair and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. This organization makes wigs from donated hair, for women who have been affected by cancer. I was able to go shoulder length, and donate 9" of hair.
I also started working at the elementary school, and getting paid for it!!! I was asked to take over lunch recess duty, so I only have to "work" a little over an hour a day. I figured I am always there anyways...may as well get paid for it:)
In other news: My dear friend Rich, is making huge progress. The Dr.'s are amazed at how quickly he is recovering. We are thrilled!
One more thing: I won the Publishers Clearing House 10 million dollar prize yesterday....FOR HALLOWEEN:)

How Fast Things Can Change

He, is my closest male friend.
He, always helps me to see the good, when I can't find any.
He, is a loyal, and loving husband to his wife Debbie, one of my closest girlfriends.
He, is a remarkable father to three almost grown children, loving them unconditionally.

We, confide in each other regularly.
We, I.M daily, even though we live just across the street from each other.
We, go to happy hour together occasionally, without our spouses.
We, have an incredible friendship, that I know will last forever.
We, do everything together....WELL, not everything!(he will have a good laugh over this one!!)

I, am missing him terribly right now, even though I have seen him more the last 3 days, than usual.
I, can't imagine a life with out having him to confide in.
I, am forgotten to him right now, but hopefully not forever.
I, cry at the thought of him not knowing me anymore.

Sunday afternoon, my dearest friend Rich, fell on his patio, while cleaning it. A close friend of his, who had stayed the night at his house, came to get Greg, and I, telling us he had hurt his head very badly. I raced across the street, to see his wife Deb, on the phone with 911, and him laying on the patio, blood pouring from the back of his head. He was airlifted to The Medical Center of the Rockies, and was placed in ICU, while cat scans were done. Thankfully, there were no broken bones in his skull, and 6 staples closed the wound on the back of his head. The cat scan showed some bleeding in the brain, which has since been reabsorbed, along with bruising and swelling of the brain which is to be expected considering the circumstances.

He remembers everyone, almost. Me, along with his best friend of 14 years, John, are the only forgotten ones to him. He says I seem familiar to him, but he just can't remember the details. I am heartbroken. I obviously know he has no control over this, and with time the memories of our incredible friendship may return.

He checks my blog occasionally, and I hope that when I am vivid in his mind again, he will come here to see, that losing his friendship would be a great loss for me. Thinking of you constantly, Rich, your long, lost friend for NOW. Me...I miss us

The Three Little Pigs...By Tia

Last night Tia was sitting at the table with Braigen and Kali, drawing pictures. I didn't know she was actually writing a story, The Three Little Pigs. She came out into the garage, where Greg and I were, and told me she wanted to read me her story. She then realized, she had no words on her paper, so she got a pen, and jotted down her version of the story. The story and enthusiasm she shared with me was worth recording, so I had her read it once more. I have included her telling the story, and the picture she drew. (note: the "words" she is reading are at the top of her picture, and watch during the video, as she says, "Oh no, here comes the big bad wolf", Greg happens to be walking out the door!) :)
This is not her normal voice, but the one she uses when she is full of excitement, sometimes the pitch...just pierces my ears, this time it made me laugh!

4 Year Old Preschool

Tia in the house, with her nails painted, before school
Tia before school in our front yard

Hooray, Hooray, Hooray...Tia started 4 y.o. preschool today. She goes to the same school that Kali goes to, just very different hours. I, actually was unsure if I was going to put her in again this year, mainly because of the cost and the hours. Yesterday I received a call from Miss Amy, she taught Kali in preschool, and had Tia last year for 3 y.o preschool. She asked me for a favor, and I was more than willing to do what she needed..this is the conversation we had:

Miss Amy: Danika, I need a favor.

Me: Sure, what's up?

Miss Amy: I need Tia in school

Me: Can I get her in the morning instead of the afternoon?

Miss Amy: No, but I really need Tia.

Me: Does she need to be there tomorrow?

Miss Amy: PLEASE!!

So, what was I supposed to do? We do love Miss Amy, and she has been very good to all of us, including letting us skip payments, because we didn't have the money. Tia loves going to school, and now she gets to go 4 days a week, from 12:15-3:00. Moral of the story for me is: How do you turn down someone begging you to put your child in school? I couldn't, plus the fact that they love her so much, is just another thing to be proud of. Tia with Miss Amy in her class

Sad Story

I found this very tragic story through my blog surfing yesterday. Stephanie(NieNie), and her husband Christian, were in a small engine plane crash on August 16th in Arizona. The third passenger/pilot was killed shortly after the crash. NieNie and Christian survived, but continue to remain in critical condition in AZ. From what I read on NieNie's sisters blog, Christian suffered burns on 30% of his body, while NieNie suffered burns over 80% of hers. These 2 gorgeous people, are the parents to 4 young children. I believe that NieNie's 2 sisters are taking care of the children.
I have added the link to my blog, to make donations, should anyone feel the need to. All donations are going directly to medical expenses, and household expenses while these 2 fight the battle of their lives, to recover and make it home with their children again.

I watched this video, and sobbed. It really is one of my biggest fears, having something happen to me or Greg, and having to leave our children. While I know it is a blessing that Christian and Stephanie survived, the road to recovery is going to be very, very long. I hope that you will keep this family in your thoughts.

DemocraticNationalConvention and R.A.G.E.

The DNC is here! Over the last few months, I have said you would not catch me downtown during the convention. I did not want to go because there has been a lot of hype, about how crazy it was going to be. Not in the way of, out of control, but a LOT of people. I have heard that there will be around 40,000 in press alone, not to mention the politicians, and police/swat/bomb squads, and don't forget the spectators, people like us today, that went because it is historical for our time.
The real reason we went, is because Greg is a huge Rage Against The Machine fan, and they will be playing here on Wednesday. In order to get tickets to the show, you had to go downtown to Tent State, at Cuernavaca Park, and sign up with an I.D., give them your email address, and find out if you are going via email Tuesday Night. I am NOT going, I did not sign up, because you can't give the tickets away, and my luck, I would be the one who got tickets, and I would have to go, just so he could!!! Anyways, we ended up having a great time. Greg had to wait for over an hour to get is name in the lottery, and then we headed to the 16th St. Mall in Downtown Denver. The police were out in force, and swat teams were everywhere. Our friend/neighbor is a lot of fun, he makes these kind of experiences, that much more memorable. He carried a protest sign with him from Tent State through Downtown, he posed with Swat Teams, and Horseback Cops, and we had many good laughs today.

After the fun we had today, I have been trying to figure out how to get back down there before it gets too busy. I would love to get pictures of the Pepsi Center where most of the convention will take place. Hopefully, in the next few days, I will have more to post.

Back to School

Braigen and Kali both headed back to school today. Braigen started middle school at Coal Ridge (wow time flies), and Kali started third grade at Legacy.