HAPPY HALLOWEEN...

This Halloween was so much fun! Mia was finally 'getting it'. lol She was saying 'trick or treat' when we got out of the car. lol We only visit houses of friends and family- and we added a stop this year with Preston's family. =] I know we usually do themes, but this year everyone chose something random...

I had a really fun paint job on my nails. I loved it! they are orange with black tips and a silver stripe. =] Well, I thought it needed a little something else, so I put Polka-Dots on the tips! They turned out so cute and are an excellent conversation starter! =]
Caitlin had her eye on this twister costume last year and we could not find it anywhere. This year we were in Walmart just browsing and there it was! She snatched it up wicked fast! =] I must admit it is too cute!

Madeline was all about the Renaissance dress- as her school class just finshed a play of the Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare! =] She looks so pretty!

Thane was all over the Batman suit. I think the accessories were more appealing though! hahaha... There was a grappling hook, flashlight, and batarang! Well, and it does have an awesome cape! =]
Seth is Commander Cody from the Star Wars Clone Wars movies. He has a Commander Rex and a regular storm trooper costume too. I think we have them all. He has been Jengo Fett and Darth Vader too! He also was sporting a new blaster gun which seems to be miussing in this pic.

Mia is so funny! I asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween, and she told me she wanted to be an 'evil' witch. I was like why do you want to be evil? She said, 'because it is HALLOWEEN' mommy! We couldn't find an evil witch- which I was happy about- so we chose this one. I love it- it is so sweet! What's funny is- I got a picture from Mia's cribmate in Kazakhstan, who now lives in LOUISVILLE- she has the SAME COSTUME!!! What a hoot! Great minds think alike!! =]

And last but not least, our dog Phoebe went trick or treating with us, and she was a hot dog! Isn't this the cutest thing ever?!? She kept trying to eat her buns! lol

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!

Momma's creations...

Don't you just love it when the kids say something like this.... 'Hey mom, ya know tomorrow in school we are watching the Wizard of Oz right?? Well, I am supposed to come in costume....what did you make for me?!' UHHHHH...... Sure let me get right on that!

So, we decided he would be the Tin Man. I just got out my trusty roll of Aluminum Foil and went to town! hahaha It turned out pretty sweet and I was pleased with it.

Thane's teacher decided in lieu of costumes, that she wanted them to wear a sandwich board sign! We had to choose a word that is spelled one way, but means 2 things. (Keep in mind that I say 'we' because as I was creating this masterpiece he was watching.) lol Boys-right??

We chose W-I-N-D- It can mean wind like air or wind like in winding up a toy. We thougth it was clever and decided to add a foil key to the back of his board for visual effect since I was on a foil kick! lol His teacher liked it too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THANE!!!

Thane's birthday is today! He is turning 10. I can't believe it has been 10 whole years! He is such a sweet boy and he is so loving! What a blessing it has been to be his mommy! We love him so much! Here are just a few pics of his special day! We will have his official birthday party soon, but we always fix his favorite meal- he requested Chicken & Dumplins. =] He also got a cool new penguin glass! Stay tuned for party pics...

Volunteering...

Our youth group at church did some volunteer work at Eastside Community Center today. It was so cool to get involved in our community. We delivered meals to flood victims who are still with out their kitchens. Like 'meals on wheels' . We also surveyed the area for families who lost their Christmas Decorations. The community center is collecting donations of new or gently used holiday decorations to distribute to those who lost them.

CNHS at SEMI-STATE...

The Sound of North had their SEMI-STATE competiton this Saturday. It was FREEZING!!! I mean like only 45 degrees while they were performing. We had a little trouble with instruments not staying warm and one small malfunction with the props. Buffy and I went to see watch the show.

Only 10 of theses 20 bands will continue on to STATE competiton. I pinpointed Caitlin's boyfriend Preston and his twin brother Parker in this pic. =]

Unfortunately the band placed 11th. Just 1.8 points shy of the 10th place spot to continue on to STATE. So, close.... It has been alot of fun on the journey and there is always next year. We will also be competing at Bands of America in 3 weeks. =]

Happy Birthday to me!

YAY!! It is my Birthday and I am so thankful to all of my friends and family for all the love and support they have shown me and for all the tokens and gifts! =] Which I also love very much! The morning started with a delivery of flowers for me from Karen! They are daisies-my FAV!! =] I love them...Thanks Karen!
My day continued into the evening with a meeting at church for our youth program...well, because it was my Birthday, they decided to bake a birthday brownie for me and a lasagna dinner! It was amazing! They surprised me at the door and sang to me! =] Gavin even had my flowers delivered to the church so they would be there when I got there! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so special! =]

We then went to my mom's for cupcakes and ice cream! =] I had to then pick Caiti up from band practice. When I did, Buffy had a card for me and the boys had a card and flowers for me! Thank you Preston & Parker and the whole Shelton Family! =]

I then arrived home to find a UPS box waiting for me! =] In that box was this awesome Believe sign for my office and monogrammed can coozie! yea! The Umphrey Family had sent me my gifts! They also got me this beautiful wind chime! I love it!
Thanks again so much to everyone who sent well wishes and gifts!! I don't feel any older and I am not sure if I ever will. Although, it seems the clock has sped up- and it goes so quickly. I mean where did all these kids come from and why are they calling me mom -right??? lol I love my life and I am glad it is so full of family and wonderful friends like you!!!

Sound of North at REGIONALS in Terre Haute, IN

This Saturday the Sound of North attended the Regional ISSMA Band Competition in Terre Haute. They gave an incredible performance and of the almost 20 bands there, only 10 would advance to Semi State. Here the band is preparing to take the field!

Our Drum Majors wait for the scoring and placing. We placed 8 of the 10!! This is awesome to move forward to Semi State! We are so excited for them ! They scored a little lower than they should have but the feedback from the judges tapes was very positive! Craig and the kids were also able to come to the show since we were practically in their back yard! It was a good show and a great time with friends! =] Next week we travel to Ben Franklin in Indy for the next performance.

SENIOR NIGHT...

We attended the last home game of the season for our CNHS Bulldogs. It was a great game and the band gave an incredible half time show. The 4th movement of the performance is complete and looks awesome!

Our quarterback Jarrett Brownfield is warming up! He goes to our church and is the sweetest guy!

My niece Allison & my Nephew Jacob attended with me and Madeline. There were spirit sticks that you smack together to make loud noises and eye blacks to show our team spirit! We of course were in all our Bulldog attire! =]

I love this pic of me and Madeline. I am so thankful to have it. First of all, as the mom and key picture taker, i am rarely in any...lol and because she is not always up for having her pic taken! =]

Madee looks soooo pretty here! Her eyes are amazing.... Daddy stayed home with the boys and Mimi as it was absolutely FREEZING! BRRRRR!!!!

My Sister got married....

My sister Tina got married on August 30th! I just got a pic from her so I thought I would post it for you guys to see. This is her husband Fulvio. She has been living in Mexico most of this year, but is on her way back this week. =]

Basketball...

Madeline made the Parkside Basketball Team!! We are so excited for her!! She played basketball this summer with some of the girls who also made the team in Southport. It was a great experience and we are so glad for this opportunity for her! YAY!!! GO MADEE!!

COLUMBUS POWER ELITE EXPO...

Caitlin's Cheer team- COLUMBUS POWER ELITE had an exposition today for all their friends and families. It was great to see what they have been working on so hard all summer! We had a special place in this years event, as every year they choose one girl to give a small speech on a topic like dedication, leadership, etc... Well this year's topic was TEAMWORK. And, they chose Caitlin to do it! We were so proud of her and what she wrote. Her is her giving the speech and then a copy of what she said:

Teamwork
By Caitlin Wilson

We all have a dream,
A dream to be the best we can.
A dream to achieve this little thing called perfection.
But dreams can’t just be granted like many of us wish, they require effort and perseverance.
It’s much easier to achieve greatness when we work together, this is called teamwork.
Members of a team are always there to support each other; they bring out the best in each other, both in skill and personality.
We as individuals, with our dreams of perfection contribute to the team’s dream of perfection.
Each of us is a part of the dream, no matter how small. We are all needed and important, all stars.
There will be hard times and long practices, but with the encouragement of our teammates, the experience will only make our dream more attainable.
We will have great times as well, milestones we will achieve. They will add another rung to our ladder of success.

We have other helpers along the way too, little pick-me-ups if you will.
They are known as fans.
Our friends and family give us encouragement and inspire us to chase our dreams and never give up.
They give us presence in our performances and fuel our will to win.
I think I speak for all of the squads and coaches when I say that we can never thank our families enough.

I have seen great potential for all of our squads this year, we all have high hopes and the same dreams.

I have a strong feeling that TEAMWORK can make our DREAM work.

Oh my goodness can you believe it? My baby wrote that! My chest was, and still is, so swelled with pride!!- Especially, when she asked- 'Mommy, can you proof read this and tell me what you think?' I teared up when I read it. =] Ok, so I have had my proud momma moment and I thank you so very much for letting me share it with you! =]

Preston and his mom Buffy came to watch the expo with us. I know Caitlin appreciated seeing them as well!

Here is a video of the routine. It is not high quality and I apologize for that. I had the small camera today. =[ It looks to be a cool routine with lots of places to upgrade as we progress through the competition levels. This year we are starting at level 4 and will progress potentially to level 6 by the end of the season! =] The Tuck toss in the middle is a level 6 move! Even with the couple bobbles in this performance, I am super excited about it!

2008 ISSMA District Marching Band Festival...

The Sound of North is taking the field.... =] Our theme is The Element of Surprise, and the kids come in and out of these boxes during the performance.

The competition was scored by field judges and booth judges. We scored a 79 and the closest band to us was a 68. We won in all 4 categories...best music, best overall effect, best auxillary and then we were named grand champion of the event. We also got a GOLD rating.
Preston's mom Buffy and I were trying to figure out what ands would be coming up next.Mia loves Miss Buffy and she hams it up for her every chance she gets!
Madeline was enjoying the beautiful weather and was hamming it up too!
The Drum Majors are accepting the awards.
The whole band stood and gave a hoo-ahh with each award presentation! It was a great day!