Kats~

My aunt sent me this email today and it is so powerful and so true. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Hugs
~K~
Live A Life That Matters         by Michael Josephson 
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.   There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.   Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. 
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. 
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. 
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire. 
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. 
It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.   It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.   Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.    
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? 
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;  not what you got, but what you gave. 
  What will matter is not your success, but your significance. 
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. 
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,   empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. 
  What will matter is not your competence, but your character. 
What will matter is not how many people you knew,  but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. 
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.    
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.   It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. 
Choose to live a life that matters.     Make great choices today and all year long! Make your life matter! 
 

Hey everyone our friend Shannon's mom was in an accident last night and has some very serious injuries. If you all could please keep her mom and her family in your prayers I would really appreciate it as would Shannon and her family.

Thanks so much!

~Katie~

I have not seen a blog about this so I figured I would write one. On Feb. 21, 2008 the community of St. Charles lost a member of our family who was fighting for our freedom. LCpl Drew W. Weaver lost his life in the line of duty. We may not know this soldier and we may not support this war, but the least we can do is pay our respects and say thank you for what he did for us while he was over there. While I personally didn't know him my sister did and from what she has said this is one person who was very nice and caring.

Here is the information I got off of the funeral homes website.

St. Charles City Mayor Patty York would ask the residents of St. Charles and surrounding communities to appropriately pay respects to LCpl. Drew W. Weaver and the family by lining the streets of the processional routes and in particular as the funeral motorcade passes through the City of St. Charles. Mayor York has also requested all flags within the City of St. Charles, Missouri and be flown at half mass until services are concluded for LCpl Drew W. Weaver.

FUNERAL PROCESSION ROUTE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 29, 2008: Departing the Funeral Home at approximately 9:30 AM East on West Clay to North on Droste Road, passing his former High School, St. Charles West, to Zumbehl Road to the Church. Entering west into the North drive of the church parking lot. Departing the Church at approximately 11:45 AM South on Zumbehl Road to West Clay to St. Charles Memorial Gardens.

I know that I am going and a few other bloggers, but if you would like to go just leave a comment in here and maybe we can all meet up somewhere and stand together.

Hugs

~K~

The past six years of my life have gone by in the blink of an eye. I have 3 kids who require a lot of attention, but are also involved in extracurricular activities which requires me driving them there and picking them up and a majority of the time staying there with them. I love the fact that they want to do these things and they like to do them, but at the same time I feel like they may be damaging to our at home life. It seems here lately that when we don't have anything to do they want to leave and go someplace. It doesn't really matter where, they just want to be on the go. I began thinking to myself about when I was little and we would have movie night or game night and just stay home and hang out as a family. I have now dedicated one night a week to staying home and playing games or watching movies as a family. Even if it is only one night a week it will be time spent together as a family. I know that I am the one in control of the situation and I am the one who has signed them up for these activities, but they do things that they love to do and want to do. So I wonder does anyone else feel that there are so many activities offered for kids that it is taking the focus off of having an at home life??

I took my kids out today for ice cream and then we went to the park so they could play for a while. When we got to the the playground it was pretty empty and really nice. I let the kids run around and play and then all of the kids from the day camp that the parks department runs came over to the equipment and started to play. I called my girls over and told them that we had fifteen more minutes to play and then we had to go home. After a few minutes of watching them and seeing how rude the kids were I thought it was time to go home. Just the same time I was thinking this my girls came over and said they were ready to go they couldn't do anything because the other kids were in their way. Now hearing the words those kids are rude come out of a 6 year olds mouth kind of shocked me and then to watch the camp counselors running around and acting just as childish as the kids were really got to me. Maybe I am just too hard on my kids and teach them to many manners, but the more and more I take my kids out places and watch how the other kids interact with them I often wonder if parents just teach their kids to be rude.

Thanks to the brains who made the mobile site. I love it. Now when I am out of town and want to check out the local news I can just do it from my phone. Yes I browse the net from my phone. The site is user friendly and extremely easy to navigate. Thanks again myfox you rock!!

Yesterday I received a phone call from my grandmother saying that a little boy across the cove from their house at the lake of the ozarks had fallen in and drowned. It was so sickening to hear her say this. I know that when we go to the lake we always watch our kids, but all it takes is one time and they could be gone. Please make sure your kids know to where their life jackets at all times when around the water. Everyone down there always seems to want to watch everyones kids, but my saying is that if everyone is watching them then NO one is.

Someone made the comment to me that since I am a stay at home mom I can't really have that busy of a schedule and how easy my life must be. That statement that was made really rubbed me the wrong way. I guess until you have done it you have no idea as to what it is like. I am by no means complaining in this blog about being a stay at home mom because I love what I do and am very blessed to be able to stay at home. Just to give those of you who have no clue as to what it is like, I will give you a little run down on a week in my house. Everyday we get up have breakfast do school work for a hour or so. Yes I know it is summer, but I don't want her to forget what she has learned. Snack, then outside, nap for the baby, lunch, usually in the afternoon we go to the pool, park, or some other activity. Tues, Wed, and Thurs. We have gymnastics during the evening. Friday is usually a family night or a birthday party. Somewhere in all of this I still have to make time to go to the grocery store, cook dinner, and clean. I have been told to cut some things out of my schedule, but I just can't seem to do that. Being busy is something I love to do and how boring is it to just sit and do nothing all day.  I can't really explain fully what it is like, but I know that I would like to tell others who have no idea what it is like think before you speak and try to put yourself in these shoes. It isn't a walk in the park, but it is very rewarding to get to see my kids grow up and take their first steps or flood the kitchen for the first time! I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it is not as easy as some people think it is. 

Now that we have the answers as to what happened can we please just let this man rest in peace!

After reading all of the blogs about Josh Hancock and how he HAD to be drunk in order to run into the back of that tow truck I wanted to share this. I was involved in an accident about 6 years ago. I was the passenger in the truck. My friend and I were driving down the highway and came upon a tow truck that was in the fast lane. We had to swerve to avoid hitting it and with that we were struck by another car that was in the right hand lane. We were coming up a hill and just didn't see the truck. Neither one of us had been drinking or anything. It could have been something as simple as this in Josh's case. Sometimes even the best drivers don't see something and get into accidents.

Just watched this video and I think that everyone needs to watch it and remember what it says before posting.

So with summer rapidly approaching I have noticed quite a few very tan people around.  I admit I do like to tan just to get a little jump on summer, but alot of the woman I have seen walking around have skin that just looks like leather from going to the tanning beds to much. Does anyone else notice this? What are your thoughts on this subject?