HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Wishing everyone a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Remember to count your blessings, no matter how big or small!

Here are a few of my thankful things:

• My wonderful husband, for providing me a wonderful life and 2 beautiful girls
• My 2 girls, for showing me what love really is - for the many laughs and even tears
• My mom - for being strong in so many ways
• My "seasoned" Sissy - for being there for me and my girls and being a great Auntie
• My health
• Having a house that will be warm this winter and not having to worry about feeding my family
• My great new job that I absolutely LOVE
• My friends, who are there to make me laugh, listen to my complaints and always have a hug when needed

Those are a few, I could go on ...... but time to put the turkey in. What are your thankful things??

BBBrrrrrrr

Dang!! The cold air has hit us with a vengeance!! We've had temperatures in the teens at night and this morning, heavy frost on the truck windshield!! The wood stove has been working hard keeping us toasty warm. Thank goodness!! I did finally have to break down and turn the heat on because I worked yesterday and couldn't keep the stove going. So when the girls got home it was 64 in here. Had to tell them to turn it up. A shock to the system since its usually 78 in here with the wood stove!! So that was the first time the heats been on - very nice, since its usually in October. The benefits of not working full time!!!!!!!

Weekend get-away............sorta

This weekend was our annual get-away. Its the Midcoast EMS seminar in Rockport that we attend, we take classes to get cec's required to keep our EMT licenses in force. We had a great time, as usual, the weather wasn't cooperative. This morning the fog cleared and rain stopped so we could finally see what the view was out of our room!! I bet its absolutely GORGEOUS in the summer!



Our friend Mandy and boyfriend Matt were WAY at the other end of the motel from us.....they must of been warned ahead of time about Mandy and I and knew it would be best to separate us!! LOL

So now, I'm cleaning out our suitcase, as well as the girls, and repacking a smaller suitcase for Robbie because he's headed this afternoon to RI to do repair work on the boat they built that is there. He'll probably be there until Thursday. He wasn't suppose to go until Tuesday. But people aren't doing what they are suppose too - so being management - off he goes! PLUS he's got an awful head cold and feels miserable. :-( Hopefully he'll get there fairly early tonight so he can get a good night sleep. The hotel where we stayed, the beds were like sleeping on the floor. Actually the floor might of been softer!!!

Happy Birthday Krissy!!!

I know its early, but I'm working today, Freshman supper tonight, pack everyone up tonight and tomorrow is the EMS Seminar at the Samoset for the weekend!!!! Wanted to make sure I wished you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Ohhh Krissy

WE FINALLY GOT A SIGN!!!!!!!!!!! Only took 2 yrs from when the other one was stolen!!!

THANK YOU!!!

No matter how you feel about politics and the war - today is Veteran's Day. Take time to pause and think how lucky we are to have our freedom. Thank a Vet and thank an active member of the armed services. Especially those who have lost their lives, fighting for OUR freedom.

My AWESOME trip.

Hey it Robyn reporting here from Boothbay telling you about my awesome trip. I went to Minnesota (if you didn't hear) for a conference called Healthy Kids/Healthy Community Convention. A group of us called the Core of Leaders raised money this past year and got lots of grants and a large donation from the old YMCA director of $620. (Didn't feel bad he has a Porche). Let me explain the Core of Leaders to you. It is a group that helps build the 40 developmental assets in our community. Let me just say if you have never heard of them then you must read this, http://www2.search-institute.org/assets/. So we hold a Youth Summit every year for all BRES and BRHS students to attend at our local YMCA that is "within a stone throw of the schools'' that basically reminds all youth of the 40 assets, that our schools try very hard to help build. We do fun fundraiser that no one would ever think of. Such as a Flamingo Flock, which is were you can pay a small fee to get a group of flamingos put on a friends lawn anonymously. We have raised $6,000 dollars off that at least. We have done a Guitar Hero tournament, Car Wash's, bake sales, and basically anything you could think of.

The conference was at the Hyatt hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The outside of the hotel. It looks small but it was everything that you can see the tall building, the little thing that says Hyatt, and everything else around it. It was 25 floors.

This was the speaker room were we had an opening ceremony everyday ceremony everyday with a variety of different speakers and performers.

My favorite class was a class that was called Tel-a-vision. (See if you can get what it means............................................................Tell A Vision, get it??? Well back on track. It is a website that allows you to make a video of your dream for America and anything else that you want to make a video on. Here is the website http://telavision.tv/ give it a try it is free, fun, and no downloads.

Here are some pictures of the confrence.

A very good speaker.

The lobby from one of the floors.

A bathroom were 4 girls stayed.(my room)

My hand on the hope wall.

A room where 4 girls stayed.

More of our room.:)

I LOVED these little people. They had different colors everywhere and I wanted to take one and take it as a carry on!

Lovely me on the 25 floor!

Ok. My most favorite part. So excited..... Drum roll please..........

THE MALL OF AMERICA.http://mallofamerica.com/. I had the best time there. I would sooooo go back if I had a chance. We went one day and didn't even get through half of it. And we didn't think that we would get to go back..... but one of the adults wanted to go back and offered to take me... so do you think I would say no? Well I didn't. I got to go to the mall 2 times. We got through most of it. It was so saweeeet. You just had to be there to see how amazing it was. There was 3 roller coasters in it. A log flume, a Dora the Explorer Ferris Wheel, and plenty more. We could have spent at least a day in just that part. I went into the QVC Store and they were airing one of the shows there. I have a picture of the on air sign that was LIGHT UP. It was amazing. There was an American Girl Store that was 3 floors, a zillion other stores that I have never heard of. Here are some pictures. And by the way it was AMAZING.

Our dear friend George Bush is behind me in this pic.

Ohh.... don't i miss the Rugrats.

George again!
QVC at the mall!! and the on air sign....

Well i am VERY tired so i am going to take a nap. I have more pics so maybe i will put a few more on later. TTYL;)

She's HOME!!!!

Safe and sound!! She was greeted by these wonderful signs that Tiz made!!

She's on her way home, took off at 3:50pm Minneapolis time. She'll land in GA at 7:25 and leave at 8:05. She'll land in Portland at 10:41 and should arrive at the school around midnight! I'll make sure she posts about her trip. But she's had a blast, even went back to the mall last night and even to QVC again!! That's my girl!!

Here's a picture of Tiz today helping daddy burn some brush!

Shopping Mania

Robyn called me about 5:30, she couldn't talk long because she was on her way to the Mall of America! I believe that means she's doing just fine!! :D She had several seminars today and said she really enjoyed all of them. She volunteered to get up early and be the first to shower so she could dry and straighten her hair. She's lucky too because she gets a bed to herself, another girl opted to sleep on the floor. Said she slept really well, course I got an email at 11:45pm from her stating that she was at a dance! So I imagine she was so exhausted that she crashed! So anyways, she's having a great time and doing really well!! I'm so proud of her!!

OH! She just texted me, said that the city is huge!! Keep in mind, we're from Maine!!!!

Here's a link to see where she is and what she's doing: http://www.search-institute.org/

*****Update*****Just got a text saying "having a blast" and "amazing"!! She was in my favorite place/store QVC!!!

She's there!!!

She just called, while in the plane, she's taxi-ing to the gate at the airport. They need to get taxis now and head to the hotel and then go to a reception party. She said the flight from GA to MN was better than the one from ME to GA. Her ears didn't bother her as much the last flight. But she's wicked stuffed up. So I can breath a sigh of relief that she's on the ground, and focus on worrying on something else!! LOL!!

Robyn's big adventure!!

Robyn's on her way to the Healthy Kids/Healthy Community Convention in Minnesota!!! She's also going to go to the Mall of America and that's the biggest excitement for her!! Yes, I'm an emotional wreck!! She and Tiz said their good-byes this morning, we opted to have Tiz go to school ahead of time, there were lots of tears shed. On Robbie's way to take Tiz to school, I called to check on her, her main concern.....if Robyn looses the suitcase, then we wouldn't be able to go on a family vacation. In other words, she bounced back for now. Then we took Robyn out to breakfast. We had lots of foolishness and laughs. She said the hardest part is saying good-bye, that she was excited about going. We got her to the school to meet the bus and the other students that are going. Lots of tears and hugs. But over all, we both did really well. We left as she got on the bus, so it would be a little easier, for her and me!! She's texted me several times, and is doing just fine. I knew she would be. They are sitting in the airport waiting for their 12:45 flight. I now have to get thru the flights!! But she's amazing, she's matured so much this past year. To think she's going to be giving a speech in front of strangers is amazing in itself!! Here's some pictures of the morning. Now off to clean to hopefully get rid of my nervous energy!




Saying good-bye to "Sissy"





Silliness!!
The suitcases. Grammy Tina....yours wasn't big enough! Hair straighners, shoes, clothes - definitely ended up using something bigger!

Do the American thing!!

G'morning!!!

I have to say.....getting up at 6:15 on a Saturday morning is pure TORTURE!! UGH, and I have to do it all over again tomorrow. While everyone else in the house is snuggled in their warm beds, snoozing away......Off to work I go.........yawn!!