What I think

I see us in a couple of levels.  I see matching hair, similar cheekbones, but when I look at my daughter I see Crawford.  Maybe because when I look at Kota I see Steigerwalt.  I respect the other opinions though.

As she ages I guess she is becoming more like her mama.  Her sass and attitude is so like her father!  Kayla has been a light in my life since I knew I was having a girl.  I was so scared to be pregnant again when I had a 9 month old colicy baby boy.  I was actually very depressed.  The day I had the ultrasound that told me I was having a girl, all my sadness of being pregnant were gone.

She was a very easy, happy baby.  She loved being snuggled.  She was my sweet pea.  She used to sing even as a baby.  She often brings smiles to my face.  As she is growing and maturing into a beautiful young woman, she still brings a smile to my face.  She is spunky, energetic, she has this truly sweet spirit.

My daughter is everything that I am not.  Maybe that's why she does not look like me when I look in the mirror.  I see a person who I would like to be when I grow up!

Easter Dinner

Salty, sweet goodness of the traditional Easter ham graced our Sunday dinner table today.  We had all the trimmings of au grautin potatoes, green beans, homemade dinner rolls, deviled eggs, chocolate cream pie

and the fancy rice crispy treats that I learned how to make at Kerre's blog.  Faith, family and food brings us together on these lovely holidays.  Smells and sounds all bring back the pleasant memories of childhood.

Every Easter we would make homemade candy.  I dabbled in a little bit of candy making yesterday and Kayla was saying how much fun she had doing it.  I might have to make that tradition with my daughter.  Usually time dictates my life.  I need to make a few more time outs so that I don't let the clock time out these found memories of my childhood and have them skip a generation.

 Although I did not take pictures of the wonderful food, we did not leave the table hungry.  Kim and Kevin and their kids spent the afternoon and early evening with us.  Dakota and Kayla broke out some old toys that I put up for future grandkids.  The cousins had fun playing.

 I don't remember the last time Kayla played Barbies.  I am glad that my teens aren't "too mature" to play with their cousins.  I would have never been on the floor playing Barbies as a 14 year old.  I am proud of my kids.  I hope this is a small glimpse into the type of parents they will be.

 Kyle and Kevin are trying to plan some good camping trips for the summer.  We are going to camp this summer instead of going on to a big vacation.

 Kolton was enjoying playing with Kota and Kayla.

 She is just like her dad, always a kid at heart.

 Kadin and Kamyrn enjoying playing with their cousins.

Okay, help me solve this dilemma.  Does Kayla look more like me (the Steigerwalt/Doan side of the family) or the Crawford/Beninghof side of the family?  I'll tell you what I think in my next post!

Kayla and Aunt Kim Crawford (Starkey)

Holiday Weekend

We started our long weekend freezing our toushies at Crestview Invitational.  We have been looking forward to seeing "Water for Elephants" because Kyle and I listened to the book.  You know, they really changed too much of the book.  I appreciated the book way more than the movie.  Kyle came out of the movie grumpy.  He said that's why he never reads a book because that way he can go into the movie without an expectations.

 Today, Kayla was enjoying the weather an flying her kite.  It was a nice windy sunny day for that.

 We worked on getting the interior sparkling for Easter dinner with Kyle's family Sunday.  Kyle worked on the yard.

 We found that our composter is turning into compost.  Our raised bed garden is starting to turn into compost too.Tonight we spent the evening with my nieces and nephews at Mom's house.  It was fun watching the little one's gather eggs.  They are so excited to find the candy filled eggs.

 Dakota is helping cousin Rylee discover more eggs.

It was nice visiting with my sister, brother and aunt Cyndi and her children.  It is nice having family around.  I really enjoyed catching up with them tonight.

Normalcy

Life is in a pretty normal pattern right now.  It seems like nothing special is going on.  Boring really.
It seems like all I'm going is waking up, showering, eating breakfast, going to school, dealing with students (good and bad), grading papers, cleaning house, laundry, cooking (Kyle usually does this, even if I start he takes over), watching a bit of TV, reading a book, falling asleep.  We have a track meet or two thrown in during the week.  There is scouts on Wednesday nights, but all in all, it is quiet.

I am so not complaining!  It is nice to have some quiet for awhile.  It seems like I am just waiting for something.  I'm not sure what that may be.  Summer?  I don't know.  I think I am going to grab a summer job this year to help pay on my lofty student loan bill.  Not to mention Kayla's class ring, Kota will probably get a Varsity letter in track, if he keeps racking up points, that means a varsity jacket.  It seems like expenses are coming faster than income right now.  But, that always goes in cycles.

We are getting ready for the Ohio Achievement Test at school.  Maybe that's it.  It's high stress time.  Did I teach them everything they need to know?  Will they remember all the strategies that we've worked on?  Will they remember what a simile is, even though we've talked about it several times this year?  It's hard letting 28 students get a grade for your years work.  I hope the effort I put into them is the output I get from them.  It's a gamble really.  A very public gamble.

No matter what happens, I know I worked hard for those students.  I hope it's enough. 

I'm looking forward to sunshine and blue skies with white puffy clouds.  Maybe that's what I'm waiting for, warmth....Hmm?

Hearty Lives

 Flowers

Spring Blossoms

 Magnificient in Sight

 Hearty Life Springs Forth

Flowers

I'm enjoying the spring blossoms everytime I step out of my car infront of my house.  These hyacinths were my mother's day gift last year. The tulips I got are begining to come forth, but they are my late bloomers in spring.  They make me wait on their dainty beauty.  It is amazing these blossoms are so hearty they can with stand the 40-88 degree changes in the weather lately.  Amazing.  

Irony

My last post I was talking about how cold it was at the track meet that I was sitting at.  Today was beautiful.  It was so nice we walked around the little town I live in, then headed over to mom's to sit out on her back porch.  This is my result of enjoying today's sunshine.

I'm not sure which I like better, the sunburn or the necklase lines.  Can't complain, I loved being outside today.  Next time I just need to remember to dejewlery before I go on the walk after church!

BRRR! Track Season

Tonight the coldest night of the week according to th extended forcast, we were couched out in the community stadium watching our son in his second track meet of the season.  I came with an under armor shirt, hooded sweatshirt and hooded windbreaker.  With all my wintry layers, I sat huddled in a double layered king sized quilt, sipping hot cocoa to warm the inerds.  Despite all my teeth chattering, I felt bad for these kids who were in their shorts and tank tops to strut their stuff.

 Dakota competed in four events tonight.  His 4x100 relay team came in 1st place.  Whoohoo, all the cold weather fanfare was worth shivering over.  I got to see my kid hand-off the baton to the boy sprinting the final leg of the relay. He also ran in the 4x 200 relay and they placed 3rd.

 He ran the 110 meter and 300 meter hurdles he placed 5th in both of those.

 The spring-like weather of snow was showing itself this evening.  It was so cold.  But, overall the team and Kota did well.

It's fun when you can hang out with the competion, Noah from his YM's quorum was there.  Noah had a great meet to.  We saw him place 1st in a couple of races. 

By the end of season we will be complaing because we got sunburnt.  So here we go, track season, off to the traditional subzero temps.

The Buck Stops Here

Do you remember Kayla's Buck that she shot on her first hunting trip back in Novemeber?  Well, IT's B-aaa-ckkkkk!  That thing is looking over our dinner table.  Ironic, I guess.  That is his temporary home.  I said I would let it stay there a little while, then it gets moved up into her room.

This little tuft of hair on its neck is a rare feature the taxidermist said.  He said that you only see a few deer a year like this.

To recap the adventure, Kayla went out hunting for her first time with brother, dad and Uncle Tim.  They were out in the woods for about 30 minutes when she shot her first buck ever.  To be out in the woods for only 30 minutes, to get an 8 point buck on her first time, well let's just say beginners luck!

Kota you will get one one of these days....maybe!

Pay It Forward

I got horn-swaggled by my friend yaya at Whispering Pines to do 5 good deeds.  The idea is that the first 5 people who comment will do five good deeds to keep paying it forward.  Once those good deeds are done and reported back in then I will send something to the 5 who comment in.

Okay Yaya, I hope this meets your criteria.  If not, I'll keep trying.

1.  Ran a couple of errands for Grandma Beninghof
2.  Visited 3 widows (does this count as 1 or 3) :)
3.  Did my visiting teaching, I wrote 5 letters today.
4.  I got food orders ready for the needy
5.  Helping people get their food storage in by delivering their orders to them

I think the best part of service is how it makes all the cares I had about myself, melt away.  I love helping other people.  I think that is why I chose the job I did.  I have been raised that way, my family always helped other people when they needed it.  My grandpa Steigerwalt was big on the golden rule.  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Whenever we were being selfish as children mom would remind us of Grandpa's saying and we would always do better.  Even though Grandpa borrowed the saying from the Savior, he always taught by example.

Thanks Yaya for the challenge.  I like getting to do these things.  Until I make a list it is not always thought of how many ways I get to serve.

Now, I hope I will get 5 takers, I know there are a lot more of you that look at my blog than those of you the leave comments, maybe you will join in on the pay it forward theme!