Happy St. Patrick's Day

May the luck of the Irish be with you today!

Still here....

Where has the time gone? It seems just like yesterday it was Christmas, and heck it's already March! I can't believe that my birthday is yet again right around the corner...and that my cutie-pie-son (yes, I called him a cutie-pie) is going to be 19 on Sunday as well as me turning the big 43.

A lot has been going on around here..as usual. Been having some female issues, which I am hoping are now corrected...or at least will be completely fixed in the very near future!
We finally got our truck up and running! Len did a great job of replacing the engine...all by himself...well with a little help from the boys and a few friends here and there. I am so glad to have my own car again, but the replacing of said engine took our train trip money! We still have some saved and we are hoping that we will just drive to TN in June.

Michaela has started Track...and is super excited! She will be doing sprints, hurdles and high jump. I'm proud of her and that she has decided to do something she has never done before. She's pretty fast so I think she will do great!

Caleb auditioned for Phantom of The Opera...and got in! He is so excited. He loves the theater and his such a good actor! Who knows maybe he will be famous some day!

I've been working like crazy. Have taken on a lot more responsibilities at work...and I'm super excited about what I'm getting to do. I love the whole social media aspect of things and getting to be in charge of all that at work is right up my alley. Finally have a job that is so "me" and loving it.

Len is doing well...bored as heck...but good. His eye is healing well and it looks beter and better everyday! He's been working hard to get the truck back on the road...and even did some yard work yesterday!

Well thats the happenings here....more to come after the big birthday weekend!

I LOVE a guy with a tatoo!!

Just for fun...

I found this fun personality test on a blogging-friend's blog. Check it out: 

Visual Personality Test

You answer a series of questions by choosing the "photo" that best represents your answer. I really enjoyed it. The results were fairly accurate, too!

You should check it out.
You can read my results here:
I'm a HARMONIZER

So what are you? Go take the quiz...and then comeback and let me know what you are!

Planning a trip

I am just tickled to know that I will be a Grandma, again...in late June. Matthew and Amanda are having another little boy, aka: Wade Thomas. I can't believe that Wyatte is going to be 3 soon...and that he is going to be a big brother! Time just flies by!

We are hoping to visit when baby Wade makes his appearance. We have been thinking about taking the Amtrak to Tennessee. It just sounds so fun! I have a lot of planning to do but I think it would be a great adventure. 

We would depart from Salt Lake City.......and then change trains in Chicago

Chicago's Union Station

....and then head south to Fulton, Kentucky.

Fulton, KY (artist rendition from 1900's)

 Fulton is about 100 miles from Clarksville, but it's the closest station. We would then rent a car while in Clarksville so we can check things out. Now the fun begins....finding "stuff" to see and do.

Happy Valentine's Day!

All I want for Christmas...

is for you to get a haircut!  That was my Christmas wish from Adam when he asked me what I wanted. So after much deliberation (on his part:) he finally said "OK, Mom, for you I will get a haircut." I was so excited.

BEFORE

DURING

And the best photo of all:

AFTER
There is my handsome guy! I just love how cute he is...and those dreamy green eyes of his!
Thanks Adam for the BEST Christmas present a Mom could ask for! 

Christmas...finally!

We kicked off the holiday fun with some "secret sister" love! I had a great time with my Activity Day girls! We had a great little party that included a "secret sister" gift exchange. We had to make our "secret sister" a homemade gift....and the girls were so creative! Izzi, received some fun hair accessories and a cute necklace from Hailey. Addie loved her handmade beaded necklace and earrings from Sarah. Sarah was tickled withe the beautiful quilt that Izzi made. Hailey was beyond excited with her personalized pillow cases that I had made. And I just LOVED my handmade felt owls and sugar scrub from Addie. We had yummy treats and a fun time making Christmas candy necklaces. I was so proud to see the wonderful gifts the girls had made.

 

Then we celebrated with family! It is so delightful to have my family (at least some of them) right here with us. I love spending the holidays with family and this year was no different! I just wish Nana & Papa, and Matt, Amanda & Wyatte could have been with us...they were surely missed!

Claar/Hill Christmas 2011

Big Boy!

I really need to update what's been happening at Casa Claar....but just haven't had the time to sit down and dedicate the time to doing it! I promise to get to it soon!! I still have Christmas photos to share, Len's 2 surgeries.....and so much more! Meanwhile, here is a quick photo of my 'lil man, Wyatte! He is such a big boy now....even in his footie pj's! Man, he looks sooooo much like his Daddy!!

Check back for an update...soon...I promise. 

Also on my craft/scrapbook blog (All Things Creative)...it's been so neglected! I'm sorry!

Merry Christmas from Montana

Sir C-U-T-E-N-E-S-S himself!

(Wyatte Chancey in the tub, Clarksville, TN)
This here little man makes me smile! I just love him to death! He is the cutest boy in the world!
And we are so excited to announce that he will be a BIG BROTHER in June!! We are all hoping for a girl!
I can't wait!

Our crazy busy-ness....

I just had to take a photo of the "harvest" moon earlier this month. It was so beautiful and I'm sad to say the photo just doesn't do it justice. it was so bright and big...it was like you could just reach out and grab it!

Because we just aren't busy enough...both Caleb and Michaela were in the play Annie.  They had a great time performing and they both did a fantastic job.

(Sorry this is sideways, I was just too darn lazy to go back in and flip it around)

Here is a shot of Caleb. He was the police officer... the one that catches Annie when she escapes/runs away from Ms Hannigan. He also played a few other background people. He did a great job...and if I don't say so myself...He looks mighty darn good in a uniform!

Michaela was one of the orphans. She even ahad a small solo and did fantastic....even though she had a rough opening weekend. (In the opening scene on opening night, someone stepped down onto the top of her foot and smashed it pretty good. Then on the 3rd day she was accidentally pushed off stage...HEAD FIRST!! She recovered pretty darn well! She was able to get herself together and get back on stage...even though she was hurt pretty good. She had a MASSIVE bruise on her thigh, and some other scrapes and bumps...but the show must go on!)

She did a fabulous job and so did Caleb. I love that they both have such a natural talent for the performing arts. Who knows...maybe they'll be famous some day!

(Michaela is the orphan in the top R corner)

Last week:

Christopher Paolini was at our local library for a book signing event. He is a Livingston resident and the kids think it's pretty cool that he not only has written an awesome series of books 

(Inheritance Cycle: Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, and Inheritance)

but also that he wrote Eragon at 15 years old...right here in Park County Montana.

The kids enjoyed the evening listening to Christopher read a excerpts from the books, answer questions and share how he came to write the series. Of course they were tickled to get their copies signed.

So that's whats been happenign here. We have had a lot of craziness...but it just wouldn't be outr lives without the crazy. Christmas is less than a week away and I am really looking forward to just being with the family. We have a few more things going on this week...and I will try and be a bit better about blogging. It's hard with so much going on ...and working full time too! 

Lunch with Lilly-bean

This is Lilly. 

My little Lilly-bean! My sweet neice Brandi's little girl!

It is amazing to me just how much she looks like her mama!

It was a nice change of scenery to have lunch with the Girls! It was a nice break from all the sadness of Mack's service.

(L-R: Marci & Ezra, Brandi & Lilly Sarah & Alice)

I just LOVE this photo of all the girls and their babies! These are Brandi's best friends and it's so awesome to see them all grown up and Mama's.

And here I am with my 2 special girls. Brandi has grown up to be such a great mama and I am so proud of her. She has always been my "first daughter" and I love her so darn much!

(L-R: Rebecca, Brandi, Lilly, Nana...and ME in the back)

We had a great lunch and a great time visiting. I miss them so darn much and I just hate that we are so far apart. Thanks for a good day girls!

The Memorial Service

As Thanksgiving came to and end... the weekend ahead was rough. I flew home (to Southern California) on Friday evening to be with my sister Rebecca and my neice Brandi. My wonderful nephew Mack had passed away on November 11, 2011...and I was headed home for the memorial service.
The weekend was fast and furious and I don't know that I have really had time to grieve for sucha terrible loss of such a wonderful young man. I loved him very much and my heart just aches when I think of him.
The service was on saturday, Nov 26. It was at the chapel to the high school that Mack so dearly loved. There had to be 200+ people that filled the chapel. It was so nice to see so many people there to support Rebecca and Brandi.
There were several memory boards that had been made and set up...as well as his Young Marines awards and uniform.

The chapel was filled with so many beautiful flower arrangements. the Young Marines honored him with the Color Guard and the presentation of the flags. It was pretty special. Rebecca read his eulogy, it was so sweet. She was so strong...and so was Brandi. I know they are still aching the loss of him, but I know that we will all be together again!

Many people spoke such kind and loving words about him. It was so cool to hear about all the lives he had touched.

I too spoke about what a great young man he was...and what a delightful child he was. He was a special man...and our Heavenly Father knew his heart and knew it was time for him to return to Him.

He was a son, a brother, a cousin, an uncle, a friend and a nephew. My dear sweet Mack, we love you very much and we will miss you always! I love you Mack!

You will always be my Mack-a-noodle!

Rewind 3 weeks: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came and went lickity-split. I think it was so over shadowed by Mack's passing that I just kind of went through the motions. We had a lovely dinner and really enjoyed spending time with the family. I was such a blessing to have Julie and her family here...am so thankful that they have moved so close. There is just something to having family all together for the holidays!

We had the usual turkey-stuffing-mashed potatoes-cranberry sauce-veggies-sweet potatoes-"Christmas" potatoes-rolls-and everything else you can think of-kind-of-meal!

The men folk enjoyed an array of snacks and treats while dinner was cooking. 

(see photo above of the "men"...minus Adam, he was MIA)

The "girls" ( Katie and Michaela) passed the time by making turkeys-galore! They had fun making the little treats for our friends...we then made a few deliveries!

Levi thought it was COOL to be able to eat an ENTIRE turkey leg...all by himself!

Thanksgiving was great but we surely missed the rest of the family.
(Nana & Papa Lingo, Uncle Eric, and Matthew, Amanda & Wyatte) 
We are truly blessed and we are so very thankful to our Heavenly Father for all that he has provided us with. Until next year....

Hip, hip, HOORAY!

Happy birthday to one of the BEST son's a mother could ask for! I love you...my sweet giant!

Happy Birthday, SON!

I can't believe that he is 22 yrs old today!! 

His birthday is so appropriate.... 

our TURKEY born on TURKEY Day!

We love you Matthew and are so proud of the man you have become! 

Wish we could be with you on this super special day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do something different this thanksgiving: 

Strike a family pose with the "un-cooked" turkey!

A no good, VERY bad day...

There is nothing like receiving a phone call from a loved with bad news. That's how Saturday started. I was out running a couple of errands when my sister (best friend) Rebecca called with devastating news. She could barely speak. I knew it was bad ....even before she actually spoke. I could hear it through the silence on the phone.

I think this article explains it all: 

Clinton fatality crash 'one of the worst,' fire official says