This morning on the way to school there was an abandoned recliner on the side of the road.  Our conversation:

Kaydee:  "How did THAT get there?"

Me: "Someone probably dumped it there.  That was rude, wasn't it?"

Kaydee: "I think somebody probably left it on their porch and some creepy animal came and carried it away."

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Turning on the street Kaydee's school is Abby said, "Where's Kaydee's school"?  I said, "Right there."  Abby:  "Well when did THAT happen?"

Last Friday was Career Day at school.  Here's Doctor Kaydee, MD:

We had the neatest Primary Activity today!!!  Our ward combined with the Winder Ward and did a "Walk With Christ."  We asked special guest speakers to come talk to the kids about their experiences with Christ--Mary, a Shepherd who was there when the angels announced His birth, John the Baptist, and a disciple who witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.  We also made a personalized picture of Christ that said, "I Know My Savior Lives" with their names on it.  And we gave them a copy of "The Living Christ" to take home--this fulfills one of the Athens, Georgia Stake goals: "Post 'The Living Christ' and a picture of Christ in the home."

A great BIG THANK YOU to Erin, Jamie, Lafae, Andrea, Jaime, Amy and Lora and especially to our special guest speakers!!!!!!  There are more pictures in the January 2010 gallery.

For more information about Jesus Christ and His life please go to JesusChrist.lds.org.

I've wanted to do Project 365 (a picture each day for a year) for the past few years but I never remember to start.  By some small miracle, on January first we were driving home from West Virginia and I remembered to take a picture....and, yes, I have taken one every day for the past 23 days.  I created a special file in the media gallery for these pictures---check them out and then come back throughout the year to see what our life is *really* like.  I will separate them by months to make it easier to navigate.  Enjoy!

So I'm only a week late posting a birthday shout out to my darling husband.  Better late than never, right?  That's what I say too.

Shane had a FABULOUS birthday (in my opinion ;-) ).  Saturday night we went to the Hibachi grill for supper--Abby LOVED it, Kaydee would be happy if we never set foot in a Japanese restaurant again.  (Don't blame ya, kid....not a big fan myself.)  Sunday morning at the Birthday Boy's request we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and he got his favorite dinner--Comforting Chicken--for supper.  (Lunch was tuna sandwiches....we get home from church at 2pm....we needed something QUICK.)  The girls and I got him 2 board games: Sorry! and Scrabble.   He also got to take a nap (ya, like that doesn't happen EVERY Sunday, right?) and be a lazy bum for the day. 

In honor of Shane's 33rd birthday, 33 things about the one man in our house:

1.  Shane is THE man of the house.  (Okay...it helps that he really is the ONLY male.....)
2.  He is an awesome dad
3.  He loves playing games with the family (hence the new board games)
4.  He is a big fan of Burn Notice, 24, and Star Trek
5.  His favorite food is Comforting Chicken
6.  He is handy with a computer (thank goodness, someone in this house needs to be!)
7.  He has been practicing his skills with the bow and arrow to help fill our freezer next fall
8.  He's been working hard to help keep our Ward building in order as the Ft Yargo Ward PFR (Physical Facilities Representative)...the flooding last week has kept him busy!
9.  Shane loves his job--especially the "set your own hours" part.
10.  Shane's favorite color is "I don't know"  (direct quote)
11.  Shane grew up in Ohio
12.  Shane is a "get it done" person
13.  He has a stellar testimony of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ
14. He is an AWESOME example for his girls
15.  Shane knows how to get what he wants.....no matter what it is, he finds a way.
16.  Shane wants to play the guitar like a rock star when he grows up.  Well, not like a rock star really, more like the dueling banjos...
17.  Shane also wants to play the violin and piano when he grows up
18.  His favorite sister is Chantele
19.  His only sister is Chantele...but he also has 2 favorite sisters-in-law
20.  Shane does not like the flannel sheets I put on the bed every winter.  But he deals with it because he knows that I L-O-V-E them.
21.  Shane is not fun to play Monopoly with
22.  Shane loves his family--not just me and the girls, but his parents, grandparents, sisters,  and in-laws.
23.  Shane loves to go to Utah and play farmer with my dad
24.  He secretly wishes he had been born in a different era where everyone farmed and we rode in horse & buggy (and didn't have running water or microwaves--I know, he's out of his mind)
25.  He has been working on his geneology to find long lost relatives
26.  His favorite movie is NOT Dora, but he will watch it with Abby because he loves her
27.  He taught Kaydee how to ride her bike with no training wheels
28.  He taught Abby how to peddle her trycicle so it actually MOVES
29.  Shane WILL teach a Primary class when his wife is desperate (and by desperate I mean in tears because no one else will do it)
30.  He doesn't think he's a good teacher, but he definitley is
31.  Shane likes gadgets.  Especially gadgets with lots of shiny buttons.
32.  Shane likes reloading bullets and shooting guns
33.  Shane also enjoys riding his motorcycle

I didn't think I could come up with 33 things....and now I find that there is so much more to say.....good thing I have next year!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!! 

I can't believe it's been six years since this sweet little girl came into the world.  They say time flies when you're having fun, and when you're with Kaydee, you are having FUN.  In our house birthdays are a big deal.  Kaydee got to choose what we did all day, what we ate and where we ate it.  So after she opened her gifts this morning--she got money and more supplies for her doctor kit---we ate "white cereal" for breakfast.  ("White Cereal" is Frosted Mini Wheats :-) ).   Once we were all dressed we went to the Mall of Georgia and went shopping.  Kaydee bought herself a new shirt with a giraffe on it. Then we went to Jump for Joy (a "jumpy place" with the big inflatables)....we got there right at 11:00am and there was NO ONE there.  I was worried that they weren't going to open today.  We killed some time at Bed Bath & Beyond and when we went back at 11:15 J for J was open--hurray!!  The girls had a blast jumping and going down the big slide.

We ate lunch at "Noodle Cutty" (Stevie B's Pizza) and they gave Kaydee 6 free tokens for the arcade games.  She "won" enough tickets to get foam dice for both herself and Abby.  We stopped at Publix on the way home to pick up her cake and the few things we needed for her birthday dinner.  While Abby took her nap we played Hungry Hungry Hippos and Kaydee patched up several "Boo-boo"s with her doctor kit. We had a gourmet dinner of Taquitos, salad, corn bread, and strawberries.  Hey, the what the birthday girl wants the birthday girl gets.  We had cake, then a bubble bath, and Kaydee gets to sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAYDEE ROSE!!!!!

6 Things About Kaydee:

1.  Kaydee wants to be a doctor when she grows up.  Lately that's all she talks about.  At least until soccer season starts again....

2.  Kaydee's favorite clothing is pajamas.  She has more pajamas than anyone I know.  Mostly fancy princess gowns. And she would wear them all the time if I would let her.

3.  Kaydee's second favorite clothing is soccer shorts/t-shirts.  The number of soccer shorts she owns comes just under the number of nightgowns.  She settles for soccer clothes when I won't let her wear her pajamas.

4.  Kaydee is a GREAT big sister.  However, she sometimes gets the role of "sister" and "mother" confused and ends up crossing the line of sisterly advice/bossiness.  But she LOVES her little sister and has vowed to teach her "everything she knows." 

5.  Shane says that Kaydee is silly.  This is true.  She tells silly stories, makes up silly dances, and acts silly all the time.

6.  Kaydee loves her family.  She counts down to every visit to Greema and PopPop and Meema and Pap.  She asks about her extended family all the time.  She was SO excited when she got to see Jacob and Caleb at Grandma Sara's funeral.  She adores her sister and her cousins--and the feeling is mutual:  Addie and Isaac can't get enough of Kaydee.  And we can't either---WE LOVE YOU, KAYDEEBUGG!!!!!

Check out all of the pictures from Kaydee's birthday in the January 2010 Gallery. :)

Just when you think things can't get any more crazy around here.....

We had a fun Christmas.  We spent Christmas Eve playing games and watching movies.  Kaydee and Abby sprinkled Reindeer Food on the lawn and left cookies for Santa.  On Christmas morning Abby dove into her chocolate (and Mommy's and Daddy's and Kaydee's....) the second her little feet hit the living room carpet.  Santa brought Kaydee the doctor kit she's been asking for, and Abby got her cash register.  They also got stick ponies and new games and a few other things.    As we were preparing our Christmas breakfast (bacon and eggs per Kaydee's request) we got the telephone call that Shane's Grandma Sara had passed away the night before.  It was sad news, but we had been expecting the call.  Grandma's health had been declining rapidly over the past few weeks.

After breakfast the girls played with their new toys and Shane and I packed up and prepared to drive to West Virginia.  In case you are wondering, NOTHING is open on Christmas Day except for a few gas stations.  Therefore our Christmas Dinner consisted of soggy (ICK) ham sandwiches and chips.  HOWEVER--thanks to our drive north we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS.   The girls even built a snowman and had a snow ball fight.

Chantele and Jeff drove up Sunday night and the girls had a great time playing with their cousins Addie and Isaac.  We stayed at Gammie's house on Monday night and had a great visit before the funeral on Tuesday.  It was a nice service and it was good to see all of Shane's cousins.  We had a family dinner before heading back to Meema and Pap's house.  When we got into the truck at the restaurant we realized that we had a crisis---both Bumbies had been left at Gammie's house.  For those who don't know what a Bumby is, it's a Bunny/blanket lovey.  Kaydee couldn't say " Bunny" --she called it a " Bumby".  And now Kaydee, Abby, and Addie all have " Bumbies".   In the Artman and Mack house Bumbies (Or Dogbies--Isaac's is a dog ;-) ) are required for sleep.  Luckily, Meema and Pap (aka Bumby Search and Rescue) went to Gammie's house for us and retrieved the lost Bumbies. HURRAY!  Crisis averted.

We helped Meema and Pap prepare for the arrival of new bedroom furniture on Thursday (New Year's Eve) and then Chantele and Jeff left and the house became much more quiet---Kaydee and Abby missed their playmates!  Shane and I played games with Meema and Pap until midnight--HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  We drove home on Friday so we could be home for Kaydee's birthday.

What a week!  There are LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of pictures from Christmas and our trip in the December 2009 Gallery. 

ARTMAN, Sara (Craig), 86, formerly of Maple St., Brookside, died Thursday, December 24, 2009 at Shadyside Care Center.

She was born May 13, 1923 in Martins Ferry, the daughter of the late Edwin and Keyo (Coss) Craig.

Sara was a member of Kirkwood United Methodist Church and was very active with the United Methodist Women's Club.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Artman in 1987; a son, Craig Artman; a granddaughter, Lisa Artman and two sisters, Regina Cagle and Anita Boyles.

Sara is survived by two sons, Allan and his wife Sherry of Fairmont, W.Va. and David and his wife Marjorie of Duncan Falls, Ohio; six grandchildren, David and his wife Heather, Brent and his wife Jolene, Chad and his wife Jamie, Shane and his wife Wendy, Chantele Mack and her husband Jeff and Tom Algeo; as well as eight great grandchildren: Kaydee  and  Abigail  Artman, Addie and  Isaac Mack, Dominic and Grace Artman, Brynn and Chad Artman.

Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday at Wilson Funeral Home, 920 National Rd., Brookside, where funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday with Reverend James Hoff officiating.

Interment will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens, Pleasant Grove, Ohio.

Memorial contribution may be made to Kirkwood First United Methodist Church, 300 DeKalb St., Bridgeport, OH 43912.

Leave condolences and view a video tribute online at www.wilsonfuneralhomes.com.

Kaydee made this today---hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2010!!

We've just returned from a FANTASTIC two days in Chattanooga.  Yesterday we checked Kaydee out of school early and drove to Tennessee.  We were early for our train ride so we did some Christmas shopping.  Then we drove to the train station and prepared to board the Polar Express.  Kaydee and Abby were so SO excited.  (Okay....I was a little giddy myself.)  We finally got on the train and started our journey to the North Pole.  The girls ate gingerbread cookies and drank chocolate milk (warm Yoohoo....ick) while we listened to an elf read "The Polar Express".  Then we went through a magic tunnel that took us directly to Elf Land.  We saw Santa's Workshop, the houses where the elves live, and some of the reindeer.  And then we saw the Jolly Old Elf himself.  Santa boarded the train and Kaydee was able to tell him she wanted a doctor's kit for Christmas.  Then he gave everyone silver bells.  We all sang "Jingle Bells" and other Christmas carols on the return trip to the train station.  We had a really really good time.

Shane had enough Marriott points for a free room, so we stayed overnight to extend the fun into two days.  The girls love staying at hotels.  They thought it was cool that they got to share a "big bed".   I thought it was cool that they actually went to sleep.

This morning we got up, ate breakfast (Kaydee was beyond thrilled with the selection---they had just about every breakfast food I can think of), then drove downtown.  We took a small detour to the Chattanooga National Cemetery.  It was amazing to see all the white tombstones in perfect rows.  Many of them were from the Civil War.

We got to the Creative Discovery Museum just as they were opening.  The girls had a great time playing in the water, climbing up and going down the big slide, digging for dinosaur bones, and making music.  On the top floor they had a special display set up on philanthropy.  Kaydee wrote a note about something she had done for someone else, and we made Christmas cards for soldiers stationed overseas.

We ate lunch at Sticky Fingers before heading home.

We had a LOT of fun as a family!!!  There are lots and lots and LOTS of pictures in the December Gallery.