The Richter Scale

Just some things I don't want to forget....

2009-12-29T23:42:00.002-06:00

My chatty son has come up with some really fun things over the past few weeks that I don't ever want to forget...
..He referred to Santa as "HoHo" for a couple of weeks and then graduated to Santa.
..He absolutely LOVED the Christmas tree and ALWAYS wanted the lights on. He also wanted the lights on the stairs on all the time.
..His newest saying is "Don't know how". You can tell him to go downstairs and watch cartoons, go get a diaper, get a cookie from the pantry and his response is the same..."don't know how" with a shrug of the shoulders.
..Carlie asks to sit by me and he immediately starts to run to me to sit by me and says.."me asked first, mama!"
..We were putting away the Christmas place settings and we was confused as to why... We told him Christmas was over and he started to cry. He did not want it to be over!
..Last night, he wanted to play Wii!! Carlie got a new game, Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics. He wanted to blobsled. When his cute little Mii dropped his head in failure....Luke sat down on the floor and started sobbing and saying "me lost..me lost..me lost". He was heartbroken! It was so stinkin' cute.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

I think this was by far the best Christmas yet! I think I say that every year, but I really think this one was. By far, this was the funnest Christmas with Luke. This year he was engaged and loved opening presents and loved the Christmas lights on every day and loved singing Jingle Bells. However, he was tired of opening presents about 1/3 of the way through them as he wanted to just stop and play. Carlie, was simply....Carlie. I am afraid that we are likely nearing the end of her magical belief in Christmas. Even though she can tell you what the true meaning of Christmas is...Jesus' birthday and giving...she is very smart and savvy and I think she is going to figure it out pretty darn soon. We are trying are best to hold her off with the million questions she asks. For example...how does Santa make it around the entire world, how does he get in our house...we don't have a chimney, Why don't we ever hear him on the roof? Stuff like that... To be honest, I was fully expecting her to go outside this year and look for hoof prints. Regardless, both kids got more than they needed but what can you expect with two sets of grandparents!

As for us in general...we had a good 2009. Our family has been blessed in ways that most people would not even know. Given 2008 was not one of our best years! We are grateful for our happy and healthy children, our happy and healthy marriage and the blessings that surround us on a daily basis. We are hopeful for an even better 2010!

I wish you all a Very Happy New Year filled with loads of peace, love and happiness! ...what can I say...I am a daughter of parents from the 60s!! :)

HoHoHo

2009-12-13T20:03:00.003-06:00

In case I don't send out a Christmas Card this year....Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you!!!

It's December...already?

2009-12-08T23:21:00.002-06:00

Every year, it seems that my desire for the Holidays drift away a little bit. Given the fact that I have two young kids who love the Holidays and all the magic that comes with it, it is a bit daunting for me. Perhaps its money....Perhaps I am simply lazy....Perhaps I think the Hoopla over gift giving has gotten a bit out of control. I don't know the real reason, but I have to psych myself into the Holidays much like I have to psych myself into Mondays. It is relatively funny in a sad kind of way.

Anyway, for the sake of my kids...I dig deep and found some spirit. We took the kids to cut down a tree. Luke is so excited for Christmas this year. He says that HOHO (his word for Santa) is bring him THREE BIG TRUCKS! Yep, you got it...not one or two...THREE!! When you ask him "DS". Seriously..please!
You might think that picture above if kind of strange. For two kids to be bent over like that in a tree farm. But the story behind that pose is....While at my dad's they saw a tree in the woods that had been scraped by a Buck. So now, Luke bends over and pretends that he is scraping a tree. Granted here he is scraping air....but it is still cute.

He also looked forward to decorating the tree. I can not tell you how awesome it is to see my son excited and engaged. It has been a long time coming and I am totally loving it.

Anyway.....from our family to yours.....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Enjoy your families and the time you have together.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-25T19:13:00.003-06:00

Well, we spent Thanksgiving with my parents, Ryan and Carol, Stephanie and my Grandpa over the weekend. We had loads of laughs and a lot of fun. It is always so relaxing to hang out at my parents house.

2009 has been a good year for the *Richters. Tons to be thankful for....let me share a few...

1) I am Very Thankful for the power of forgiveness...without it, things would be MUCH different today.

2) I am thankful for James, Carlie, Luke, my parents, Ryan and my grandpa! They have all played an important part in who I am today.

3) I am thankful for my beautiful home and my two OLD functioning cars.

4) I am thankful that all of our needs are provided every month...sometimes I am just not sure how.

5) I am thankful for my children's schools....while busting at the seams, they are still getting a good education and are surrounded by fabulous teachers, aides, volunteers and an amazing principal.

6) I am thankful for both mine and James' job...no matter how much I complain or hate it on certain days, I am still thankful that I am not among the millions of people unemployed.

7) I am thankful for coffee...without it, I may not always be the nicest person in the morning!

8) I am thankful for the few TRUE friends that I have. They are few but they know who they are and I appreciate them everyday!

9) I am thankful for Noel. While she fits in #8, she is also the person who cares for my little guy when he is not in school!

10) I am thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with some of my dearest old friends. It has been loads of fun.

11) Dill Pickle chips...hello?? that is a given!

12) I am thankful for my church

13) I am thankful for my Aunt Margie, who I love with all my heart. I am thankful for my Grandma June, although she is no longer with us, she lives on in our life in so many ways.

14) I am thankful that my son is noticeably catching up with other 3 year olds.....

15) I am thankful for the generous and loving heart that both of my kids have.

16) I am thankful that both of my kids have been relatively healthy this fall, including no H1N1 virus! Whew!

I could go on and on, but I am thankful everyday, I just thought I would share a few...

Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday Season!!!

Faith

2009-11-15T19:08:00.003-06:00

The song I have posted below is my new favorite song. I heard it on the radio about a week ago for the first time and started crying. Now I hear it and I sing it as loud as I can and often find my hand rising to the sky.

The jist of this song is exactly what the title is... What faith can do?!

My faith has been tested and I have overcome and am a better, stronger person than I was before. The words to this song ring true in so many ways. To paraphrase...

"Everybody falls sometimes, you have to find the strength to rise from the ashes and make a new beginning....You think the ache is more than you can take, but you are stronger than you know....Don't give up, the sun will soon be shining, you have to face the clouds to find the silver lining...
I see dreams that move mountains, hope that never ends even when the sky is falling, I've seen miracles just happen, silent prayers answered and broken hearts become brand new...That's what faith can do.
Impossible is not a word... it is just a reason for you not to try. Everyone is scared when they decide to step out on the water...it will be alright. Life is more that what your eyes are seeing...you will find your way if you keep believing. "

Life, every now and then throws you a curve ball and you don't think you have the strength, compassion, grace, love, faith, desire to knock it out of the park. When life throws you that curve ball, which by the way is typically satan trying to move in...I encourage you to dig deep...find your strength, find your faith, find your capacity to love and forgive and fight it with your whole heart.

The power of forgiveness is an awesome gift. It is liberating. It is empowering. If you have the strength to find your way, I guarantee you will be happier, you will be stronger in the end.

The song says it....there is so much that can happen when you keep your faith. Our walk in this life is the appetizer for the main course. Make the most of it while you have the opportunity.

Find your strength...find your faith. Believe and it will make all the difference!

This song is SO true

2009-11-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

Lysol, Hand Sanitizer, Clorox wipes, oh my

2009-11-02T20:16:00.002-06:00

The Richter house has been hit hard by illness this school year. My dad says it seems like we are always sick, but I have to believe that is because he talks to us so much that he knows of every sniffle, cough or headache! Overall, we tend to be healthy. We went through a period of 8-9 months of ear infections right after Carlie started daycare many moons ago and then we just got the occasional cold, etc... However, this year is crazy!!!

It all started about 8 weeks ago, with Luke having a little cough and runny nose. I started his breathing treatments and he bounced back relatively quickly. Then, I caught an awful cold....it consisted of body aches, chills, headache and an absolutely terrible cough. That started 4.5 weeks ago....With a cough still lingering, it has now returned to a full blown uncontrollable cough! UGH.

When my original cold started, Carlie was also sick with a low grade fever, headache and just plain tired. After about 6 days she returned to normal. Then it was James' turn....he had the sinus thing with a cough!

This past Friday, Carlie was diagnosed with Strep (I will say it was going around her class) and today my little Luker was diagnosed with strep too! Craziness! We all have hand santizer close by, Carlie in her desk and backpack. There are just SO many kids sick this year. It is crazy....

My hope is that we are all cough, fever, sore throat, headache free by the time we see my parents for Thanksgiving! We will be so bummed if we aren't able to!!! GRRRR!!!

So.............. Besides gross sickness, nothing has been happening around here!! Luke will be on medicine tomorrow for 24 hours....the house is getting a good once over with clorox wipes, bedding changed, etc.....I have got to get rid of this garbage!

Anyway...enjoy the picture of my gorgeous daughter!!! I think this is just an awesome picture of her!!!

October!

2009-10-30T21:18:00.003-05:00

October is a fun month for us....It is Luke's birthday and Halloween. Two of my favorite things.
This year for Luke's birthday, we headed Northwest to Alexandria to a resort/waterpark. Both of the kids LOVE the water and with the lack of summer and leap into winter, we thought it would be a fun get away for all of us, especially the kids.

Here is a picture of Luke and James going down one of the smaller slides. From the look on Luke's face, it is obvious that he loved the ride. After a few minutes, Luke was all about exploring in the water. He was in heaven. The day we arrived we spent a good 5 hours in the water. The following day, we spent at least 2. While neither wanted to leave, they did not complain too much.

This picture was taken right after the huge bucket of water dropped on their heads.

I love this picture....Carlie is all about adventure. She got up enough nerve to go down the three water slides by herself. Two without a raft, one with a raft. This is her coming down one of them for the first time. She thought it was cool that the slide took her outside before she landed in the water.

Luke sitting on one of the fountains. Silly boy!

We then headed home to celebrate his big third birthday! Among his many gifts was a Black and Decker tool set....safety glasses and all.

I know he is not one anymore but I think Thomas is the Number 1 engine....but Luke loves Thomas. He has not watched more than one of the cartoons, but loves trains... Can you tell he was excited?

Me and my baby snuggling......feels like yesterday he was born and I was a mess while he was in the hospital for days! Look how far he has come!

The birthday slice......

He even blew out the candle by himself for the first time! Awesome!

Then we move into Halloween! Here are a few pictures from our carving adventure tonight. Luke absolutely adored the pumpkins and could not wait to get his picture taken with them. Look closely.....can you tell Carlie is sick? Even when she is not feeling well and actually has strep throat, she is photogenic.......I am so jealous! :)

I am pretty excited about trick or treating. This is the first year I am able to walk well enough to go with James and the kids....We are hoping Carlie is better tomorrow after two doses of medicine so we can go for a little bit. Luke went to the downtown retailers today trick or treating and out of his brown lunch bag filled with candy, only 7 pieces were stuff he could eat! The rest is for us!!!! Can you say...willpower?

Happy October!!! It is almost over! Then we leap into the Holidays.........Whew, not sure I am ready for that!

Happy Birthday Little Man!!!

2009-10-26T00:35:00.000-05:00

There is nothing I could say that could sufficiently express my love for this little man, who blessed us with his presence 4 weeks early, under less than ideal circumstances exactly 3 years ago today!!!

We love you Luker!!!!

October

2009-10-18T21:19:00.002-05:00

My little man is growing up. Soon he will be 3 years old. He has an unlimited vocabulary that is becoming easier to understand with every passing day. He is my joy! This picture is of Luke and his best buddy, Joe-Joe! All Luke wants to do is play with "joe-joe". Today, James and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch. It was nearly 65 degrees today and with the weather being so cold lately, we jumped on the chance to get out and enjoy. The kids, of course, had fun. There is never a doubt that these two have fun in whatever they do. But isn't that how kids lives are suppose to be?

Last night, we loaded up three vehicles and headed to Pumpkin Night in the Park. This was the first year for us and boy am I glad we went and can't wait to go again next year. It is a local forest preserve and the paths are lined with pumpkins craved by the locals. It is just so cool. You walk around the path and they have pirate ships and roadkill cafe's and ghosts. The kids had so much fun. We even stopped for about 10 minutes to watch an Elvis Impersonator. My kids danced and just had so much fun with 4 other friends.

As you can see, Carlie dressed up like a baby. I have to admit she was pretty cute.

Luke was a puppy and I had a hard time getting a picture of him looking at the camera. So I had to take what I could get from him. He is definitely not the camera lover his sister is.

We have been so blessed this year. We are looking forward to Luke's birthday next week. We have a fun weekend planned that includes.....water.

2009 Fun Run

2009-10-03T13:28:00.002-05:00

Well...here we have it...another Fun Run down in the books. Last year, CJ, Luke and James walked the 6 mile path and I made it about 1/4 of a mile because of my bad hip. However, this year, James had to work so it was up to me to participate.

The morning started in a rush as being the PTO co-chair, I was there a little early to help set up. This was after being up most of the night with a gallstone attack and getting about 2 hours of sleep. James did not wake me up, so Luke did about 7:30 and we were to be at the school by 8am. A giant cup of coffee and a Red Bull and I was ready to go....

It was cold, cloudy and rainy. Not ideal weather for a walking fundraiser. By 9:15am, when we left for CJ's basketball game, both her and Luke were frozen. However, we were able to take a break from the elements and Luke and I went to her BB game. I have to say my little munchkin is starting to get the hang of it. She did awesome! I then dropped Luke off with my fabulous sitter and Carlie and I headed back to the Fun Run, still raining and 50 degrees. UGH! However, we pressed on and walked about a mile. After our quality time together, Carlie and I headed back to the school to wait for the ultimate prize -- pouring "slime" all over her principal. While we waited, she had to run around with one of her best buddies, Nathan! Last year, these two were joined at the hip. We even had kissing episodes. This year, they are expanding their horizons but are still good pals.....thank goodness!

Then...the time came. Poor Mr. H!!! He is such a good sport. Freezing cold, wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt, he sat on a chair...Outside...and let 12 of his students pour cold slime all over him. The top fundraising girl and boy from each class got to slime him. Last year, it was Carlie and Nathan in Kindergarten...this year, it was Carlie and Nathan for 1st graders! Both myself and Nathan's parents thought that was pretty funny!

So there you have it!!! Thank you to everyone who helped support our school and helped Carlie achieve her ultimate goal of being the one to slime Mr. H.

Summer...Part Two!

2009-10-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

This is a sunset out our front door....isn't it gorgeous!?Then there is Luke...he is finally getting on board with nearly being three...Here is putting the gint Elmo puzzle together. I was so proud of him!!!

Last week, my parents drove up here with my Grandpa. He actually played Wii bowling with Carlie. Here is the proof!! Just in case you did not believe me!

Also, we did spend a week in Illinois in August...While there, I took the kids on the train into Brookfield Zoo. It was so much fun and the kids loved the train ride.

Hope you all had a fabulous summer! I know we did, even though we did not have great beach/pool weather, it was fun nonetheless.

Who is the tooth fairy?

2009-09-28T10:42:00.002-05:00

Carlie lost her second tooth on Friday (9/25) while at school. She was so excited that she pulled it out herself and could not wait for the tooth fairy to flutter into the house to bring her a gift.

Anyway...Saturday morning, Carlie woke up to a crisp TWO dollar bill under her pillow. When she excitedly came out to show us all what the tooth fairy had brought her, she told us that she did not sleep too well because she was tossing around all night waiting for the little fairy to show up.

She then proceeded to tell us that SHE DID see the tooth fairy. So we asked her what she looked like..... She said that the tooth fairy looks like Tinkerbell. Pretty blonde hair and she wore a green dress and had cute little wings. She also said that the tooth fairy had a little star shaped wand that touched her cheek like a little kiss.

So.. there you have it and SOME kids think it is their parents! HA!! Carlie would surely beg to differ! : )

One step forward....

2009-09-24T23:27:00.003-05:00

My little munchkin is far from little anymore. She is growing up so fast and while it is amazing to watch her transformation, it is also a bit sad. However, as the big sister, Carlie is kind of stuck in the middle. She does not know if she wants to be 6, 16 or 6 months. She insisted on going to the little farm at the fair and was determined to be like everyone else there. So, she got on the little John *Deere tractor, which as you can see....was just a tad too small for her. Later in the evening, she told James and I that the little play farm was just not as fun as it used to be.
Part of her wants so badly to grow up because as she puts it...She "doesn't like people telling her what to do all the time." and part of her wants to digress and be younger than her brother. She is so silly!

Luke on the other hand...is coming out of his shell. He is exploring and talking back in good and bad ways. I can not explain to you what an absolute joy it is to watch him grow, learn, explore and express himself. It has been such a long time coming and is more amazing than I ever imagined. He is so smart and to finally hear him tell us what he is thinking is simply awesome.

Luke just finished his second week of preschool. He is adjusting and doing just fantastic. He is excited to go and when he comes home, he always has the same routine...

He gets off the bus and tells me..."school fun!"

He walks to the front stoop and sits down and hands me his backpack and will not go in the house until I look at everything that he brings home. He brings something home every day that tells us what he did at school that day and he tries to tell me what he did. I can normally get "snack" and "outside" from him.

It is so cool!!! I am so happy with how he has progressed and grown in the past 6 months!

This is my life...

2009-09-17T22:24:00.013-05:00

...and I would not change it for a second.

Facebook has really cut into my blogging life. To be totally honest, I have not felt overly creative and when things are just moving smoothly..let's face it, blogging is not all that exciting.
We have some firsts here in the Richter home...

1. We went to the MN State Fair. Some of you may say...hmmm, they have gone to the fair before. Well, you would be correct, but this is the FIRST time I have been to the fair without a limp or debilitating pain. It was fabulous. We went with a group of friends and their children and had the time of our lives. Now Luke is a bit timid when it comes to some things. He is afraid of our neighbors 11lb dog BUT at the fair, that kid walked right into the pen of a 400lb pig and PET it! I have loads of pictures of the kids at the fair, but these were my favorite!

2. Carlie spent a couple weeks again this summer at my mom and dads. As always she had fun and did not want to leave. Here are a couple of pictures that she took while on her vacation! She always takes one of her with my dad and we usually get a few of the chickens. She is not a fan of the rooster as he liked to chase her - even while she was driving the tractor. Notice I said Liked -- the rooster is dead! We think a fox enjoyed him for breakfast... needless to say, Carlie was not upset.

3. Luke went on a Ferris Wheel! He loved it! While he and Ryan were on it, fighter planes flew by and he thought that was pretty cool.

4) Carlie had her annual follow up with her ortho and her hip is fabulous!! If she continues on this track, she won't need a hip replacement as early as I did! Yay! She also caught her first fish on Mille Lacs! Her dad was so proud!

5) We have a first grader and a preschooler -- It is hard to imagine my kids are old enough! Luke had his second day today and did great! His teacher told me that he is an absolute joy! Carlie is doing really well in school and I notice an improvement in her handwriting and she just seems to be growing up! Bittersweet! That's for sure!

There you have it....Summer in a nut shell!

Seriously.........

2009-09-04T16:08:00.006-05:00

Let's get real for ONE second...I know that it is an impossible task for some, but really can't we try just for a moment? Humor me?

I am a realist living in an unrealistic world.

There are a few things that this country needs...Let me point them out just to get them off my chest!!!

1) We need honesty from our leaders. ALL leaders!!!! I don't care if you follow the donkey or the elephant. I don't care if you want to leave the union and be your own country. I think if everyone would just be honest, boy, would we be SO much better off!

2) We need funding to our schools! In this country, all children have the given right to have the same education! Our children are our future, people!! They need to be educated and in order to do that we need more funding to our public schools. I live in a district where we are in the top ten for enrollment and the bottom ten for funding! WHY the short fall!??! I could go on and on and on, but it doesn't need to be right now. Our children's education is suffering because are districts are losing money -- This is JUST wrong!!!

3) We need and must have Healthcare/Insurance Reform. Insurance prices are ridiculous in this country. I work for an insurance company and pay over $400 per month out of my paycheck for my family's healthcare. I also have a $2500 per person deductible, that does not include my co-insurance and other fees that are not covered, like my son's potential life saving Epipen or his much needed nebulizer. I have a max $5,000 out of pocket. That is ridiculous!!! I have a congenital hip condition for which I had a total hip replacement this year and a history of HBP. Carlie has a congenital hip condition for which she has had 2 surgeries and requires annual follow up appointments with the possibility of surgery in the future. Luke has a multitude of allergies, asthma and now a foot/ankle condition. For ME to switch to my husband's insurance, NONE of these conditions would be covered as they are pre-existing (don't argue with me on this point as I have checked and double checked it to make the switch as my husband's cost is ALOT less than mine). Unless I kept both coverages and paid over $700 per month out of our paychecks, my children and I would have to go without coverage for these conditions for at least ONE year before we would be covered under James' insurance!
The issue of health/insurance reform is easy...Every AMERICAN has the RIGHT to have health insurance. It is not a privilege. I would love to see the cost of insurance to decrease because there were more options. I would also love for my pre-existing conditions, some which I was born with to be covered under other insurance when I lose my job, which for those of you that don't know IS going to happen eventually as my company is going out of business.
If money would stop exchanging hands and these idiot politicians would think with their brain and NOT their wallet, perhaps...just perhaps we could get an insurance reform bill that EVERYONE could live with.
Insurance should not be a billion dollar industry at the expense of all of us. Perhaps we should all have the insurance coverage that Congress and other government officials have at the cost they have to pay and there would be NO debate!

4) IT IS OK for the President to speak to the students of this country and stress the importance of staying in school and reaching for their dreams. If I recall, President George H.W. Bush spoke to students when he was President and was HE A SOCIALIST??? Give me a break! Whether you are an Obama fan or not, he IS our president and it is OK for him to give students a "Pep" talk! Encourage attendance and working to achieve your goals. WHY is that bad?
This is not an opportunity for him to push his agenda or liberal ways on the young and impressionable. Holy cow, we as parents have a better chance of that with our children. However, if he encourages just one kid to stay in school or study harder....who did it hurt???

Those parents who keep their kids home and districts that do not air it is simply wrong. If he gets on TV and preaches to the kids that it is OK to have protected sex and Abortion is OK and Health Care reform should pass, I will apologize and remove this post.

5) Listen...I am a Christian. I am a God fearing, bible reading mother of two impressionable kids. I believe that you share the Word of God through your life experiences and lead them to the water. I do not believe that you shove your religion down peoples throat. There is a difference between shoving and sharing.

Perhaps we are a Christian nation...founded on Christian beliefs. However, in the 21st century -we live in a nation of many different religions and beliefs. Is it really realistic to "shove" our Christian beliefs down the other religious communities?

Words can not describe....

2009-06-15T19:38:00.006-05:00

Look at this beautiful...soon to be...1st grader! What dimples, what a complexion, WHAT A SMILE!!!! Tonight, while eating Red Snapper, that beautiful smile turned into this.......

Carlie is officially toothless...She has finally lost her very first tooth and is SO excited about the tooth fairy coming to our house. She told me that she thinks the tooth fairy is really me and I told her that if it IS me...there will be nothing under her pillow tonight. So, she calmly tells me.."ok, mom, the tooth fairy is real!" I still think she has the most beautiful smile.

This next picture is of Carlie on the last day of school. She just happened to wear the same shirt as she wore on the first day of school. Wow, has she grown. Last summer, she was a bit fearful of the "big kid" monkey bars...now, she can climb to the top. If you would like to compare before Kindergarten and after kindergarten, click here.

Finally, what would a post be without a picture of Luke.

Do you like his new hairdo? Spikey? I kind of like it. His new thing is a little thing he does with Carlie, A high-five, a fist bump and then Peace! He holds up his fingers and actually says Peace!

Happy Daddy's Day!

2009-06-21T16:57:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, I am probably a bit bias, but I honestly believe that I have the best DAD in the world. I am and have been most of my life, a "daddy's girl". While I qualities of both of my parents, I think I tend to be more like my dad. So....too my dad...I love you and Happy Father's Day!

However, today was all about James. James and Carlie had planned a fishing trip today, but the weather did not cooperate. So we did the next best thing.....went to Cabela's and out for lunch.
Cabela's for essentials...a life jacket and new reel for Carlie and a new reel for James. We then decided to go to lunch at Mort's Delicatessen. This was our first visit to Mort's and my goodness was it delicious!!!! Needless to say, we will be back!!

Well, I have to say that my kids have one heck of a dad, too! He is patient and fun. He is caring and loving. My kids are very lucky to have James as their dad! So Happy Daddy's Day to you too!!!

These pics were taken today, even though the date is wrong.

My other kid...

2009-07-16T00:14:00.003-05:00

We have had an interesting couple of weeks with our daughter. She is 6 going on 16! She acts like a hormone raging teenager and not a free-spirited six year old. She has been mouthy and let's just say --CRAZY!!

Today, while taking her to Basketball Camp we had a relatively heated discussion after grounding her for her repeated need to tell me "NO!!!". During this conversation, this little six year old told me --- "Mom, if you don't like the daughter you raised, why don't you go get another kid to raise!"

WHAT??!??!?!! Are you kidding me? Wait...let me clean my ears, let me roll up the windows...what did she just say?

That is not something that I ever expected to come out of my little girls mouth until she was oh...18!

I then tried to reassure her that I love her, I always love her, I would never want to live my life without her, I just don't really like the way she has been talking to me and her dad. She then proceeded to tell me that she just needed mouth surgery then so she would stop saying NO!!

I told her that if her behavior continued, not only would she be grounded today but I would slowly take away her summer fun, including her trip to her grandpa's and she would have to explain why. She then had the nerve of an adult and said "OK, I guess I have to be good, because I am not going to tell my Papa that I was naughty, that would hurt his feelings." Good fear of her Papa ---PRICELESS...I guess.

So tonight, I tucked her into bed, said prayers with her and again told her that I love her with my whole heart...as big as the universe. She told me she loved me too and that she hopes I can start acting like it!!!

Goodness gracious!!

It's fun to be me....

2009-07-13T20:11:00.006-05:00

This 4th of July, the entire Richter clan hung out at my parents house. It was a super fun weekend as Ryan and Carol were there so we were all together for the first time since my brothers wedding.

My very festive kiddos were sporting their tye-dye shirts that were made by Luke's daycare provider - Noel - and I must say, they both looked pretty darn cute...don't ya think? This next picture of Luke and his uncle RY-RY is just too cute. Luke is really a Ryan mini-me. So many people have said he looks like Ryan when he was young. I have to say, I must agree.

Carlie had spent the entire week before the fourth with my mom and dad -- mostly my dad. However, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Carol did come a couple days early and Carlie LOVED the attention. She was the ONLY kid for a week and she has had some trouble adjusting since she has been home.

While with my dad, Carlie gets to experience a wide variety of things - "squirrel hunting", morel hunting, tractor driving, hiking in the woods, just to name a few. She has moved up from her Pocahontas days (life w/ a bow and arrow) to a BB gun and Paintball gun. Here is proof that Annie Oakley is a good shot!

Since her return, Carlie has been a bit emotional and a little sad. She finally told me after I threatened to take her to the doctor that she just missed her Papa! Sweet...I know! He is her favorite person next to me and James, of course. Although, she would rank him much higher! She is definitely a Papa's girl!

Since she returned home, she has been making her bed every day, picking up after herself, wanting to do chores w/out being asked. Perhaps it is because her grandma put her to work --(NOT!!)

Anyway...on Saturday, she unloaded the dishwasher and started to load it with the sink full of dirty dishes....apron and all! I just love this kid! She has a heart as big as the universe!
One of the fun things we do during the summer, is hang out at the local pool! Both of the kids are little waterbugs! The first nice Saturday, we were there for 5 hours!! Imagine that! Here is some proof of my bathing beauty and her handsome brother!

This one is just too funny.....They look like Adam Ant!

Another fun thing we do in the summer is strawberry picking.. Here they are after picking in 90 degrees one morning before volleyball camp! 8lbs of strawberries that we are still eating!

Finally, I never posted any pictures of Carlie's birthday party!

Here she is with her group of friends! They had a great time.. Yes that is pants and sweatshirts the first week of June! Gotta love MN! Luke had to join in on the fun too --- he needed a rest by the 13th hole!

another random post...

2009-07-30T22:03:00.005-05:00

I am going to first of all complain....This little camera phone picture was taken at the pool like 4-5 weeks ago. That was the last time it was warm enough to enjoy the pool! I need summer to get here ...It will be winter in like 6 weeks! Come on heat, sun, a little humidity!!!

So....let's see where to begin -- life in the Richter home has been pretty status quo over the last few weeks. Which typically is a very good thing.

Last Friday, my friend and daycare provider, Noel and I helped with a fundraiser for our friends who are walking the three day walk for Breast Cancer. We had a kids carnival in Noel's backyard and raised over $400. It was awesome. The kids had an absolute blast.

Carlie had her 6 year check up yesterday and freaked out so bad on the way there fretting about shots and pricks in the finger, she ended up falling asleep. If you are on Facebook, you have seen the picture. If you are not on Facebook, you should join! Anyway...she is 4.5 feet tall - in the 95% for her age. Her weight is in the 90th percentile and when Dr. M told her how much she weighed she looked at her and said....OOHHH, I need to lose weight! Thankfully, Dr. M told her that she was perfect and did not need to worry about that. Anything Dr. M says is gold to Carlie. For example, she has been having extreme growing pains in her legs during the middle of the night. She wakes up crying and begging for Tylenol. I will usually give her a small amount and she goes back to bed like I gave her a full dose. Dr. M told her to put a towel or pillow on her legs when they start to hurt. Sure enough tonight, her legs hurt...she put her extra pillow on her legs and fell asleep soundly.

Last night, she was so mad at me she thought I did not like her. So, she turned around while I am trying to dry her hair with a round brush and said to me...what! MOM!! did you have kids before me and now they are hiding somewhere? I told her of course not, she and Luke are ALL I can handle.

Carlie is signed up for youth Basketball and Volleyball this fall.! We are so excited for it to start. She is really looking forward to. Come on September.

So...Carlie is a borderline kind of kid. She aims to please some of the time and is a leader others. Is it ok to be a leader and a follower, depending on the day? I want her to be a leader. I want her to stand her ground, have confidence in herself, try to please me and not her friends, I want her to make her own decisions no matter what her friends are doing. I fear her becoming a follower. How do I change that path, should I leave it as is and not worry about it? Is it too early to even care? I want so badly for Carlie to make the most of her life, I want her to achieve her dreams and flourish into a confident, well balanced, independent young lady!

My son...wow...all I can say is he is progressing. He is talking, expressing himself with words, peddling a bike! He is doing awesome. He has gone from a 5 word vocabulary 8 weeks ago to an enormous vocabulary over well over 100 words and actually put three words together today..."more juice mom" Wow.... Again, if you are on FB then you say the video of him riding his bike for the very first time.

Finally...Saturday is mine and James' 13th anniversary. Seems like forever ago. I am realistic, it does not seem like yesterday. J and I have had a rough year. When I think of where we were and where we are now, I am so grateful, so blessed.. He is a good man, better than most, despite his flaws. Goodness... I have more flaws than most. Anyway....13 years....in 13 years from now, our daughter will be 19 - in her first year of college, Luke will be in highschool, I will be 50! The time does fly by...Better watch out or it is going to pass me by!!!

It been a long time coming...

2009-08-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today, James and I celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. We are slowly approaching the 20th anniversary of our very first date. The only reason I remember it is because it was New Year's Eve!

Anyway...I am not going to sugar coat this post, I am not going to make it seem as though we have the perfect marriage, the perfect life and live in perfect harmony. If I did attempt to say those things, who would I be foolin'...really? Not myself and I highly doubt - you.

I have had GREAT role models when it comes to marriage. My parents, though separated for a short time, worked through their issues and have been married 38 years this year. My parents have come along way in their journey that spands nearly a life time...well mine at least, but more than half of their own. Growing up, the other influential pair was my Aunt Margie and Uncle Laymon. As a young child and pre-teen, we spent ALOT of time with them at their home. So, really...as sad as it may seem, those are the two examples I have of marriages that people worked at and succeeded; however, as an adult I know the one thing that they both had in common was their deep love and devotion to God -- above all else. However, I had more examples of broken promises, broken marriages, families being torn apart. Goodness, I lived it for a couple of years and it really sucked! There is no other way or even a nice way to put the heartache that a child feels when their parents split up!

Anyway....I digress! This is about ME!

James and I have been in the trenches over the last 20 years. We were together, we weren't together, we took turns hurting each other and finding our way back. In a lot of ways, James saved me. Granted I saved myself from the turmoil I was in some 18 years ago but he really stuck by me and if it was not for him, I am not sure where I would have ended up, but it likely would have been a pretty crummy place. We tried to mesh our independent lives and work out the kinks. More recently, James and I have had to really work at our marriage. Things weren't good. Things weren't rosy. Things were anything but peaceful. However, through it all, one thing never changed and that was the fact that I really did love him and I would not accept failure at our marriage. Not for me, not for him and NOT for my two beautiful, innocent children.

James and I have fought, cried, laughed, sat in silence, prayed...really did everything we could to keep our life together and I am glad to say that we have succeeded. So, here we are 13 years later.... We are doing well! We are in love with each other and appreciate the life that we have, we are stronger than ever. So this anniversary will be different -- it will be a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

I love you, James -- today, tomorrow and forever!!

Everbody goes Tubin'.....Tubin' USA!!

2009-08-02T21:25:00.005-05:00

We have made some new friends and they are SO nice and a welcome change. In addition, our girls go to school together, which makes it super nice!

Today, they were kind enough to include us in a day at the Lake...tubing. As you call know, Carlie loved it! She jumped off the boat, went in the tube by herself! She really is fearless and in the beginning, the B kids were too! Luke did fabulously in the boat!! I am so very proud of him, considering his daddly wants to take him in our boat too!

Here are a few pictures of our very fun day! I am exhausted and I did not step foot into the tube. However, my hubby did and had loads of fun too!! Mom....don't freak out too much!!! : )

Thanks to the "B" family!!! We had so much fun and can't wait until our next get together!

My favorite guy!!

2009-08-14T21:45:00.002-05:00

No pictures this post...my computer has some funky virus so I am improvising until I get it back and go back to the real world of pictures and facebooking and blogging... Goodness, I feel like a little lost sheep without my own computer.

Anyway....this little bloggette is all about my favorite guy........Nope, not James. Nah, not my dad either. Oh, ok...tired of guessing --- my main man LUKE!

My little man is so stinkin' cute. He is teetering on the brink of being 3. He is on the edge of heading off to his first day of preschool - two days a week, 2.5 hours a day. Depending on the day, he is relatively close to being potty trained; however, he has not been on the brink of talking, climbing, or acting like a "typical" three year old.

I know I have told you over and over again and you are probably so tired of hearing it, but Luke is developmentally slow. He walked late and he has definitely talked late. I can't explain his little "imperfections" (to some they would be that...to me - he is perfect).

Was it his vaccinations? Was it the fact that life was getting sucked out of him before he was born as he was wrapped in his cord from head to stomach? Who knows? We will never know why his development took a sharp turn south, we will never know why he has knocked knees and requires braces on his feet, but I will tell you the things I know about my little guy....

Let's just call this a LUKE ROCKS segment:

1) Without his words, he is by far the sweetest little guy I know. He loves us so much, it just oozes out of him.
2) He ALWAYS thinks of others, especially his sister. Sound funny for a two year old? Maybe, but it is true. He gets a treat for going potty --- he asks for two so he can share with Carlie. He goes the doctor and gets a sticker --- he asks for one for Carlie. I could go on and on with my examples.
3) He is so smart. Even without being able to communicate, he knew everything that was going on around him. Now that he IS talking, it is so evident that he was paying attention.
4) He will not go to bed without kissing his sister good-night
5) Now he can express himself with words and he is just so lovable, I just want to squeeze him. Tonight he said.... "Love you Mom", "Love you Dad", "Love you Ah-ie" (Carlie) -- He put three words together, three times in a row. It was amazing!!!
6) He always smiles
7) He always greets me, James and Carlie with a hug. And when I say hug, I mean a run across the room with arms wide open throwing himself into us..hug!
8) He is hysterical. He has a funny, cute, slap-stick kind of sense of humor.

Around the last week of May, Luke started speech through our Early Intervention program with the school district. At that time, Luke has about 7 words. Basic words: Mama, Dada, sis, juice, Na-Uh, Uh-huh, and Papa. Now Luke is putting together 3 word sentences and his vocabulary is endless. Today, I shut the garage door and he shut the front door. He said to me - "you, me close door"! We were outside eating dinner and he said "More pasta please" and then said "Hi Mike" to our neighbor!

All I can say is LUKE ROCKS!!

Luke has a ways to go. He is behind in naming all of his colors and shapes, but he can put puzzles together and solve problems like no other kid I know. Regardless of progression, Luke is exactly the way God wanted him to be. He has progressed at His speed and I can not tell you what an ABSOLUTE joy he is!

We are ALL so blessed to have him in our lives. Those who know him would likely agree. Those who don't or won't are missing out on the chance of life time to know one absolutely fabulous little boy!!!