Well its official Payton has her car and is driving all over Earths creation!  She has had a car sitting in the drive since Sept. but her grades went from A's and B's to D's and I said NO WAY!!  So I told her if she got them back up I would get the licence and ins.  Well all I can stay is stay off the sidewalks;-) 

Payton congrats on your wheels please be safe and we love you very much!

Heading to school this morning

                                                Don't the boys look scared

Little Miss thang is doing so many things these day it is hard to keep up and kinda bittersweet for momma to.

                                               First bite of rice cereal.
                                               Not really into it can't ya tell.

First bath with the boys.  She liked at first then we turned on the water and out came the pouty lip.  I think we will stick to the sink for a while.

First time in her  highchair.  She looks so much like her daddy here don't ya think?

First time with applesauce.  Yummy!!

The  first time playing the xbox with the boys.  Her big brothers just adore her and her big sis to:)

Piper got baptized This past Sunday and boy did she look pretty!  Lori Kilpatrick took my wedding dress and made her baptismal gown out of it.  It was sitting in the basement in a box so I thought this way we could pass it down to the future babies in the our family.  It was Catholic schools week so I had a friend make her a onsie that said future wildcat on it.  We had a dinner afterwards with the family and Godparents and when everyone left we put on the floor to stretch and she rolled over!  She is just getting so big so fast.

                                                            OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well are you flipping out because we sure were!  Where are we going to put another kid, how are we going to put them through college, driving, feeding another one oh my, my what are we going to do?? I had flu like symptoms and it didn't even cross my mind this could be the reason why but....it looks like it was.  I got home from work and sent Brad out to get a movie so I could have some privacy while I took the "test"  low and behold this is what I got two lines.  I called him real quick and told him to get his you know what home we needed to talk.  I really thought he was going to hit the floor. I was just as shocked as he was.  Who would have thought this could happen to us again.  After we picked our hearts and jaws up of the floor we knew it would be okay.  Yes it has been okay Piper Jane is one of the four greatest things in my life I don't what my world would be like without her.  It was one year ago today that all that excitement was going on in my world and it is still going;-)

With that no I am not pregnant just celebrating the 1 year anniversary of finding out that Little miss Piper Jane was going to be part of our world.  I had you going though didn't I!

My little mann is getting so big.  He was able and excited to do basketball camp this year and he can't wait to play basketball for real!  It is just so hard to fathom the notion of how quickly children grow.  He will be having another first milestone Friday  and staying out of town with a buddy and his parents.  I almost said no, but can't keep him from doing these things forever:(  We love Patton, you never cease to amaze us.

Parker got the privilege to go check out some cool guitars the other night.  One of my customers husbands makes these very beautiful guitars.  He said it takes him a few months to put one together and he ships them all across the world!  Parker picked out his favorite one and asked the price.  His wheels were turning thinking of how he could come up with that kind of money.  He said he would sell his 4wheeler and take money out of his piggy bank.  Unfortunately I had to tell him that would still not be enough.  So we just told him to practice, practice, practice and we would see what we could do down the road.  A BIG thanks to Bob and Nancy Wallace for being the heros of the day and  making a little boys evening:)  The first two pictures are his favorite the first one being  more in his reach of saving, the second one being the one he really wants.  I think I have a guitar collector on my hands.

Wedding dress part one.

I got my wedding dress out and we decided to have some fun with it.  I have something special coming up and plan to use it for that

The front

The back

Payton almost got in to it

Piper waiting patiently for her turn

and yes the boys were very kind to their mother and indulged her in trying the dress on to:)

Patton thought he looked so lovely

A little long on him wouldn't you say

The best one yet Parker says you better not tell anyone I am doing this.  I just laughed and said oh you know it will be on my blog;-)

The littlest princess in the family

YES!  It still fits I must say I have a little bit of a tummy bulge in this side shot so I will just have to remember that for future picture taking.

I will keep you updated on what is going on with the dress.  I am very excited about it:)

My how does time fly! 

Just a few pics of my sweet little baby.  It is hard to believe she is going to be 4months old soon:(

Her first piece of mail

The sad bottom lip

Her little Christmas outfit.

The most recent picture.  She got a bumbo chair for Christmas and likes to sit in it but boy when shes done she is DONE!

A New Year

Well I hope everyone had a happy safe and Merry Christmas!  We here at the Mann Clan sure did as well.
My favorite part was probably Midnight Mass.  The Choir sang all my favorite songs, and the lights were dimmed and the smell of incense was in the air.  The snow was as white as could be and clung to the trees so perfectly.  The boys were little Shepard's and cute as could be, they played their part well.  After Mass they were so excited to come home to get all snug as a bug in a rug so Santa could come see them.  Brad and I did our traditional pull an all nighter to get their presents wrapped and put under the tree.  Thank goodness all the kids slept in until 9:30 so we could have a few hours of sleep.
New Years has come and a low key one it was, we stayed home and had a couple over and their kids and sat and visited and enjoyed the ball drop.  It was hard to see Dick Clark try so hard to commentate but he did a great job.  Parker did not want to have anything to do with the sparkling white grape juice because he thought he would get drunk if he drank it he wouldn't even have his picture taken with the wine glass.  He finally did under his mothers orders. Oh and he says if you get pulled over by the cops you will get a V.I.P. he is to funny.  Payton went to a friends house and Piper enjoyed getting lots of attention.  I however try to make a list of things I want to accomplish for the New Year and I didn't do that this year.  I have nothing.... it just seems like I say I am going to do all these things or try hard to do better at something I never follow through with it.  So I guess I will just continue to work hard at my job like usual and take care of my family.
I hope you have a wonderful and bright New Year filled with love and happiness:)

Christmas is almost here and it is such a magical holiday for some but for other it can be full of trial and tribulations.  I am a people watcher and some things I see  I don't agree with but keep my mouth shut well..almost I guess my opinion gets voiced to a few friends and my main "squeeze".  Either way 9 times out of 10 What I see are people struggling this time of year or go break the bank to get all they can for their loved ones.  Those that struggle are for me classified in 2 ways you have the people who talk about how hard up they have it which I am sure they do but they do because they choose to spend their money not so wisely and those that are quiet about it but you can just tell that they don't have much and deep down inside are struggling with it but for these people they never will ask for it or question it.  These are the people that really put my life into perspective.  I often wish I could have a bigger newer home or a newer car and yes I could I just choose right now not to be the time.  I keep telling myself patience is key.  When I see a child sad because mom or dad can not help them I just want to scoop them up and give them what they need.  I have heat, a nice warm bed, food to eat, and all the trimmings and sometimes it is just not good enough.  They have the worry and anguish of what to feed themselves and their families.  Then I struggle with the fact that  I work very hard for what I do have, lots of time away from my family, and a lot of anxiety over it just so the government can take it away and give it to them and they can sit on their butts and do nothing.  I can be a hypocrite to I am not good or perfect. In the end I come back to the kids even though the parents are like this it is not the kids fault and in order to help them I must help their parents.  Just like my kids love me even when I tell them we can not afford that toy at wal-mart or do not need to go to McDonalds these kids still love their parents in light of all their wants.   So I feel the need to help out who I can and in what ways I can.  I have been touched by this in the past few months and maybe I will get burned in the end but I know that a certain someone that has touched me and put my  views back into perspective I hope will take something from me and apply to their life.  We are all teaching each other how to live even if you don't see it right now someday you will.  I just urge everyone this holiday season to maybe spend a little less and give to someone else.  If you feel like the whole world needs to know that you have done so then so be it as long as you give someway somehow.  Even if you really don't want to and look down at "these kinds of people"  in the end we are all brothers and sisters in the Lords eye.  Okay thanks for listening and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We took the kids to French Lick a couple of weekends ago and had a great time!  We stayed at the Big Splash and they swam in the indoor water park.  Sat.  I got tickets to go on the train and witness the McKnight Bandits come up on horses shooting their guns and rob the train.  On Sunday we went to Mitchell Indiana to the Spring Mills state park.  It was such a pretty day and a very pretty state park, they even had a live Pioneer village the boys enjoyed looking out.  What a very relaxing weekend no phone calls,laundry,dishes,or places to be I can't wait to do it again real soon.

One month already.......
It is so hard to believe that my little miss Piper is 1 whole month!!  Where has time gone?  She is so far a good baby.  She still likes to sleep during the day and up all night.  Really she is not up she just is a lazy eater so by the time she eats and diaper is changed it takes about 2 hours.  Oh well she is eating and growing so that is all that matters.  Some days it just makes for a tired and grumpy momma.  This first picture she is in one of my favorite outfits!  Lori found this cool hat and I found this cool outfit to match it perfectly!!  In the video she is wearing a shirt that not only did Brad's sister give her but the same day my sister gave her the same shirt at least my sister got newborn and his sister got 3 months.  If you pause the music you can hear her noise making she does.

Patton can always make a person laugh!  I guess he is trying to be the next Taylor Swift here.  I just love this kid always has something to say.  He might drive me up the walls but in the end I can always look back and laugh:)
 












9-11-01

7:58 a.m. - United Airlines Flight 175 departs Boston for Los Angeles,

carrying 56 passengers, two pilots, and seven flight attendants. The

Boeing 767 is hijacked after takeoff and diverted to New York.

7:59 a.m. - American Airlines Flight 11 departs Boston for Los

Angeles, carrying 81 passengers, two pilots, and nine flight

attendants. This Boeing 767 is also hijacked and diverted to New York.

8:01 a.m. - United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 carrying 38

passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants, leaves Newark, N.J.,

for San Francisco.

8:10 a.m. - American Airlines Flight 77 departs Washington's

Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles, carrying 58 passengers,

two pilots, and four flight attendants. The Boeing 757 is hijacked

after takeoff.

8:46 a.m. - American Flight 11 from Boston crashes into the North

Tower at the World Trade Center.

9:03 a.m. - United Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the South

Tower at the World Trade Center.

- U.S. Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New

York area airports.

9:21 a.m. - Bridges and tunnels leading into New York City

are closed.

9:25 a.m. - All domestic flights are grounded by U.S. Federal

Aviation Administration.

9:45 a.m. - American Flight 77 crashes into The Pentagon.

10:05 a.m. - The South Tower at the World Trade Center collapses.

10:05 a.m. - The White House is evacuated.

10:10 a.m. - A large section of one side of The Pentagon collapses.

10:10 a.m. - United Flight 93 crashes in a wooded area in

Pennsylvania, after passengers confront hijackers.

10:28 a.m. - The North Tower at the World Trade Center collapses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God bless the many souls who lost their lives, on September 11, 2001, at

the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on airline flights 11, 175, 77, & 93.

The courage and sacrifice shown by the FDNY firefighters, the NYC Police, and

other NYC EMS will never be forgotten. History will remember 9/11/2001.

 

 

This day will carry a whole new meaning for me now.  It is a day of prayer, a day of silence, a day to remember all of those who have lost their lives in the tragic attacks against our country.  I remember that day as if it were yesterday  how could anyone do such a awful thing and how could any God let it happen?  I never knew why and was always and still will be saddend by that day.  Sat. September 11th 2010 I lay in bed watching the news of all the recaps of that awful day crying thinking what an bad day to have a birthday.  Yes I was contracting thinking please let them go away  I don't want my babe to share a day with this tradgedy, this day is for remembrance only, little did I know that my sweet little baby girl was well on her way.  By 11:30 in the morning my contractions fizzeled out so I decided to go to fox River and do my elderly hair.  It was around 2:30 that I was having some teeth grinding pains.  I just smiled and thought to myself lets get all these ladies done and get home so by 4:30 that is what I did.  I drove home with my white  knuckles glued to the steering wheel from the pain(okay it wasn't to bad but it still hurt) pulled in the drive and waddeled my way to the bedroom where I laid for about 2 hours until Brad decided that the yard was good, the boys were ready, the car had gas, and his shower was taken, and Payton's "friend" of the male gender was gone, and that we could go to the hospital.  GRRRRR  My sister about scooped me up and took me herself.  We got to the hospital and I was a good 5 so they kept me about an hour later I was a 6-7 and  I decided that I was not superwoman anymore and opted for the epideral I was not in agonizing pain they were bearable but I just thought the last contraction was stronger enough that if they got stronger which I new they would some man sitting beside  me shootin the sh@# with the nurse and my sister would have to pay dearly!!  At 10:52 with three pushes my precious nameless baby girl was here.  She just walked right out with no problem  it was just like you would see on t.v.  I looked down and scooped her up (with the help of the doctor) and she was placed on my chest and in an  instant love was formed.  It wasn't until later that I realized that this day would carry a new meaning.  I would never forget the brave men and women of that day but I realized that life does go on and  I will pass that day on to my new little one and we will have new memories to make on that day as we had already did.  So with that never forget those lost but remember that life  always prevails and goes on.

So I would like to introduce my sweet little baby girl

Little Miss Piper Jane Mann