Interesting Week...

So like, I gave blood on Monday. Usually a pretty uneventful activity. I was at school where they were having a blood drive. I try to give blood when I am able.

I get in there and they check my blood pressure. It's 100/62. A bit low, even for me, but since they say it's normal, I don't think any more of it. I give blood, eat my cookies and drink my juice. I'm fine. My mother-in-law and my two girls are there waiting for me. They're on the third floor and I'm on the first floor. I get done in the donation room and proceed to walk up three flights of stairs. When I get to the third floor, I immediately realize that was NOT a good idea. I was going to pass out. Luckily I sat down before I did. That's the worst feeling ever. I couldn't see or hear, and I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Luckily I was ok after a few minutes, and my mother-in-law was there with me. The rest of the day I felt like a truck had hit me. That was definitely NOT cool. Next time, I'll know NEVER to walk up stairs like that after giving blood, especially when my blood pressure's that low to begin with. Live and learn...

I had two exams this week, both in Ecology. One was the lecture exam and the other was the lab exam. Ecology is full of "statistics", and having to calculate statistics. The lab exam was on calculating statistics. I think I did pretty well. The lecture exam...well...with a little luck I did ok.
I also had a quiz in Genetics, which wasn't horrible. Genetics is a very interesting class. Very cool how these puzzles can be solved with math and logic. Unfortunately, math and logic are NOT my strongsuits. I'm learning a lot, though.

To top it off for this week, I have a midterm in my online class due Sunday.

Next weekend is the first of two National archery tournaments that Cora and I are shooting in.
If anyone would like to send Cora some pre-tournament shout outs, she'd be thrilled. Her email is prettyshooter at gmail dot com.

Welp, I'm off here to do dishes. Yuck.

Yee Haw! It's Friday!

And the girls are home. It's "President's Weekend" and they're out of school today and Monday. Whoopee! :) Too bad they're cooped up in the house. It's just been too cold. I'm SO ready for Spring! The school district has already used up the allocated 5 Snow Days this year. Not sure what they're going to do if they need to take any more days off.

We're getting digital cable installed today. It's a bout 10 bucks a month cheaper than the cable we have now, so it didn't make sense to keep the old service. Not sure what we'll do with 200 extra channels, but I guess we'll muddle through! :)

If anyone wants to volunteer to take my Ecology exam for me, I'd happily let them. It's on Monday, so you better get a move on studying! :) I think this weekend I'm going to hole myself up at the library and get my studying done. It's really hard to concentrate at home, especially when there are 200 extra channels coming to entertain my mentally-limp brain!! :)
My Genetics class is really interesting, but the teacher is NOT, so it's hard to pay attention when you're fighting sleep.

Welp, not much else going on around here...so I guess I'll get some laundry done and try to study a bit.

Have a great weekend!!

The Day After

Phew. I made it through the tournament. I ended up in second place after a not-so-stellar performance on the second half of the game. My mojo left me, and decided not to return. Besides that, I shot ok.

Andrew shot in his first big tournament. Poor guy was a ball of nerves. I'm pretty proud of him for getting out there and doing it, though. He got first place!!!! Go Andrew!

Cora shot Friday night, and took third. She shot about 40 points below her average, but still had fun. There was about 9 girls in her division, so she had to fight. It was awesome! She's in the Bowman class, which is all recurve girls 12 years old and under. Cora's 8, and the youngest competitor by a couple of years. I'm extremely proud of her for going out there and competing against 12 year olds! How spunky is that??!

Anyway...here are pictures, before Leslie lynches me...

Jerry Fouts, Jim Beasley, Jeff What's-His-Name, Andrew, Ted Lemanski


Me, Lori Cieslinski, Diane Johnston, Ava McDowell (my bale-mates)


Little Bad-Ass at work...


Can you spot Cora? Hint: She's the smallest one in the building!


Me and Andrew with our medals.

We had a blast. You'll never find a community of nicer people than the archery community.

Big Weekend Coming

This weekend is the SAM State Shoot. Yeah, ok...not such a big deal to the average person. But to an archery geek like me, this is the first big tournament of the indoor season.
Since Cora is in JOAD, she'll shoot Friday night. Then Andrew and I are going to shoot on Saturday and Sunday. It's a good time, and a chance to see a lot of people we don't get to see on a regular basis. The archery community is wonderful. People are always willing to help someone out if there are equipment issues, even if they're the competition.

It's cold. Yesterday it was -12 with the wind chill when I drove the girls to the bus stop. There were kids actually standing out in the wind waiting on the bus. Poor kids! Must have been miserable. Luckily the bus came early, or I would have offered to let them sit in the car with us.

Not much else going on around here. Lots of laundry to do. Guess I'll get to it.

Later!

Cards For Soldiers

Check out this blog!

They're collecting handmade cards for soldiers to use to write home. Very cool idea!


Cards For Soldiers

It would rock if this idea could spread so that more soldiers could have cards to write home in!

What a Beautiful Wednesday!

Well, it WOULD be beautiful if it weren't butt-tickling cold outside! C'mon spring!! I can't wait for the Groundhog to NOT see his shadow, and spring can get a move on! Ugh. I'm really tired of wading through 4 inches of snow to get to my car, so I can scrape 4 inches of snow OFF my car to start it!

Ok...enough whining.

Heath Ledger died yesterday. I was pretty shocked to hear that. I love his movies, and I thought he was a pretty down-to-earth guy.

Wow...not much going on lately...shooting...school...more shooting...etc...pretty mundane. Nationals are coming up, so I'm getting pretty excited for that! If anyone lives in Louisville, KY, we'll be at the Kentucky Convention Center on March 15-16...check it out...an archery tournament is a really cool experience. I'm pretty sure there will be some Olympians there too... I digress...

I leave you with a couple layouts I've done recently.

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Yup...It's Friday!!

Woo hoo!! No school for me today, so I'm going to get my dishes done and go shoot! Nationals are only about 7 weeks away. It'll sneak up on me before I know it. I'm excited, but also nervous. I want to do well, and I know the only thing that can prevent that is if my brain gets in my way. The mental aspect of the game is a HUGE part, and it's something I struggle with occasionally. It's funny the stuff that pops into your head when you're aiming at the target!

Anyhoo...here are a couple PAPER layouts I did with Fresh Pages Co.'s January Kit.

Lots of fun to get my hands dirty and pick up photo split backs off the floor! I had to take photos of the layouts because the nice new scanner I have isn't supported under Linux. Nice.

Welp, I'm off to be semi-productive!

Later taters!

It Done Come A Heat Wave!!

Ok...so my last post was titled "Sweet Niblets, It's Cold!"

HA! The last few days have been glorious!! Monday had a high of 60, which shattered the previous record. It's been cloudy and rainy, but not COLD! It's been wonderful. The snow is gone, but it's slushy. Yeah, I know it's coming again, but I can enjoy it while it's here, right? Heck yeah!

School started for me on Monday. I'm taking Ecology, Genetics, Stress Management, and Personal Health. The Stress Management and Personal Health classes are online, and hopefully will be relatively easy. The Ecology and Genetics, not so much. They're going to be interesting, but not easy.

Let's see...what else? Archery leagues started on Monday at the club. There's something going on every weeknight up there now. Not easy to find time to shoot, unless I go during the day. I'll definitely have to find some time to get up there. I shoot leagues on Monday and Wednesday, so that's some time there. Leagues are so much fun; it's mainly a bunch of people laughing and hanging out, with a bit of shooting thrown in. I look forward to it every year. Tonight I'll be up there without husband or kids in tow. Andrew's shooting tomorrow night, so he'll stay home with the kids.

Ok...enough drivel for one day. Must go get ready for class. Have a wonderful Hump Day!

Sweet Niblets, It's COLD!!!!

Dude, it's friggin' cold here! Yeah, it's Michigan, but it's cold for Michigan! It was -2 F this morning when I woke the girls up for school. I was kinda wondering if they were going to call off school so the kids didn't have to wait at the bus stop in this weather. Alas, they did not, which meant I had to go out in this weather. It was worth it, as my house is empty and SILENT!! Now, I just have to clean it.

School starts next week for Andrew and me. We'll get to hang out at school together on Tuesdays! How fun! Heheh... I'm looking forward to a better semester than the last.

So, what goodies did everyone get for Christmas? I got an iPod Shuffle. This little thing is so cute, and it's wonderful for listening to while I'm shooting.

I LOVE it! I need to find some smaller ear buds though, as these are too big for my ears. I'm thinking of getting Cora an MP3 player for tournaments as well...she'd love something to listen to, when she's not socializing.

Welp, I'm off to clean. Woot!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Happy New Year's Eve!!

I've seen that in Australia and other parts of the world, it's already 2008. Wow. It astounds me that it's already 2008. I was thinking the other day that I have two daughters who were born in two different centuries (1999 and 2001). How cool is that??

We don't have much planned for tonight, just cocktail weenies, kid-wine and tv. The girls have to go back to school on the 2nd, so not much partying for us. We've had a great, lazy week off. I think they're ready to get back, and I'm ready for them to get back as well! :)

I'm planning on beginning a Photo-A-Day project starting tomorrow. Hopefully I can keep up with it. I've started a blog for it at http://spanglerphoto.blogspot.com/.
Should be fun! Go ahead and begin one, too!

Let's see...nothing much else going on. Our local archery shoots have begun. I shot this weekend, but did not do as well as I wanted to. I think it was a combination of things, but the first shoot of the season is always something to get used to. I had fun anyway, and afterward we went to a place called Uno.
It was a great place and we had a blast hanging out with friends who love to shoot as much as we do.

Anyhoo...Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe NYE, and see you in 2008!!!!

I Just Made A Complete Fool Of Myself...

Luckily no one saw. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth. I was listening to my new iPod Shuffle. "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins started playing. I stayed in the bathroom for about 10 minutes listening to it over and over. I danced all over my bathroom. That song makes me happy. Dontcha just love a song that will make you move your feet? That's one of the only songs that I just HAVE to dance to...no matter where I am. Sure, I can look like an idiot while I'm the only one dancing. I don't care. When you hear a song that makes you happy, go with it!

They Scrapped

The girls wanted to scrapbook today. So, I got out a bunch of old photos, some scrapbook supplies, and let them go to town. The fun part was watching them sort through the photos.

The girls giggled as they got to certain photos. They asked a lot of questions about what they were seeing. They had a blast checking out some pictures that were taken when they were babies. They thought that was a hoot!

They of course wanted to scrap every photo. I finally had to tell them to pick photos that THEY wanted to remember and scrap those. That seemed to help them decide for and against certain photos. Sarah especially loved our activity. She got to a photo of my dad and showed it to me. She asked "Can I scrap this? I want to make this a memory." I told her "absolutely."

Say Thanks

Don't forget to say "Thanks" this holiday season!

Say Thanks

Where Have I Been??

Apparently I've been living under a rock, but I just heard of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. WOW, they're awesome!!!

Check them out here.

The End Of The Semester...

I took my last final yesterday morning at 7:45 AM. Yes, I said 7:45 AM. As in before 8 AM. Why?????? I hate exams that are held that early. I'm not even fully awake until about 9. Anyway...I'm glad it's over. Now I'm off until January 7.

Something struck me as funny and interesting the other day. We were at the bow club, of course. Saturday was the Kids League Banquet, which we have at the conclusion of the league. All the kids get their trophies for participating. After it was over and all the tables were being put away, the "regulars" (the kids who are there with their family all the time) took it upon themselves to play basketball on the range. The range is a pretty big space, so they had a lot of room to run around and make lots of noise. What struck me as funny was watching them run around the range like it was their home. And it is to these kids. We're there all the time, and anyone who's a regular there treats these kids like their own. Our club is a big family. I love that. Not a bad place for my kids to grow up, if you ask me. With the older kids of the club, instead of them being out doing goodness knows what on Friday night, they're up at the club. Shooting. With their parents. I'm talking 16 and 17 year olds. What could be better??

I thank God for the club. It's given me a sense of belonging. Of family. And of contentment. I know where my kids are. They've got a whole gaggle of "parents" looking out for them as well.

Anyhoo...

Here's a few photos from the past year.

One last thing...during this time of year I really think about my dad and miss him alot. There's a song that totally makes me think of him. I love this song. It's called "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer. You can hear it here.
What's the song that brings back memories for you??



Merry Christmas!

This is Beautiful

An Inspiration

FIRST read the story below, then click on the video link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life. This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Wow. This story just brings tears to my eyes. The love he has for his son. What a wonderful story of love. I thank God when he brings stories like this to everyone. Maybe people (including myself) will try to be a better person.

A Little Sad Today

One of the oldest members of our archery club died on Tuesday night of Lung Cancer. Harold Richmond was a wonderful, sweet man. I had a soft spot for him because he really reminded me of my dad. When I found out about his death, I cried. Really cried. I didn't know him outside of the club, and only knew him for less than two years, but he really touched my heart by his presence and his willingness to share his knowledge and awesome hunting stories with me. I'm crying as I write this, but I know he's in a better place now. I'll just miss him.

Yay! It's Monday!! (not)

Wow, I'm tired. I hate the Monday after a holiday weekend. My house is a wreck, there's laundry to be folded everywhere, dishes to be done, and for some reason, the housekeeper fairy is still on holiday. Hmmm...guess I have to get it done myself. Luckily, I just got all my homework done a few minutes ago, and when I get home I'll start working.

It was really hard to force myself to get to school this morning. I really wanted to just sit home in my jammies and veg out. Unfortunately, that's what I did all weekend. Man, I ate SO freaking much this weekend.

Only a couple more weeks of classes, then it's final time. Nope, not looking forward to finals. I'll be glad when they're over though. I think my Pre-Calc final will be at 7:45 AM. Yes, I said AM. I won't wake up until it's almost over. Geez...nothing like sleeping through a final. Although, maybe sleeping through it will be an improvement? heheh...

Anyhoo...guess I'm goin' to get my butt home and get my house clean. If I don't return in two days, someone send a search party.

Toodles!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and is at this moment feeling nauseous from all the calories they consumed the past few days. I know I am! I don't even want to begin to count all the calories that passed my lips this weekend. I figure that it's a holiday, and that's what it's for. Spending time with family, joking around, and eating yummy food.

Cora and Shiloh


Solomon and the Ritz


Sarah and Uncle David


Rick sawin' on the turkey

Thursday we spent at my sister-in-law's house. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, ham rollups, assorted pies and of course, potato candy.
It was wonderful to spend time with family. Seems that with everyone's busy lives, it's harder and harder to get together with everyone.
The girls spent the night at their cousins' house Thursday night, and Andrew and I came home and watched tv until 2 in the morning.
Later in the afternoon yesterday, he and I went bowling. It had been years since either of us had bowled. It was a blast! I actually beat Andrew two games out of four! That's never happened before.

Then we went to his mom's house to hang out with family again. I was good until about 10:30, when I crashed and burned and totally fell asleep. I woke up around midnight when Andrew was getting ready to leave. The kids had a lot of fun playing with cousins, and getting to know their new cousin, Shiloh.

Not sure what we're going to do today. Prolly just hang out at home and head on up to the club to shoot later.

Things I'm thankful for:

That my girls are healthy and strong.
That Andrew and I are happy together.
That we have a wonderful extended family that is there any time we need them.
That, for the most part, I am at peace.

The Lord has blessed us.

How To Make Potato Candy

Ok...I figured I'd just post how to make potato candy.

It's pretty easy, actually.

First, boil some potatoes like you would if making mashed potatoes (peel them first). Once they're boiled, mash them up really well. Then, start adding confectioners sugar and mix it well. The mixture will become soupy. Keep adding sugar and mixing until eventually the mixture will turn harder and become a dough (it can take a while, and make sure you have enough sugar; it might take a lot of sugar, depending the amount of potatoes you use). Once it becomes a dough, spread it out on some wax paper ( spread some flour or PAM over the wax paper first to prevent sticking). Once it's spread out, spread peanut butter over the top. Then roll it up into a log and chill. Then you can cut into 1/2 inch pieces. As you can see, it's FULL of calories, but it's SO yummy!

Let me know if you try it! I love this stuff!

Dreams CAN come true!!!

Woot! So like, I was planning on buying a new set of limbs for my bow with my Hall of Fame money. In my last post I posted a photo of the ones I would LOVE to have, but were just too far out of my price range. Well, Andrew called around yesterday just checking prices, and he found one shop that was selling the brand new 900 CX limbs for about half of what they usually will sell for. This shop is not experienced in recurve archery, and I'm SURE got the price wrong. However, we locked them into this price with a deposit, and I'll now be the proud owner of these brand spanking newly-released limbs. I'm pretty excited.

I'll have the blue ones since my bow is blue.

Anyhoo...I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week. The only thing I have planned to make right now is Potato Candy. I can only make it once a year because it's so rich; FULL of carbs! :) But OH SO GOOD. Yes, it's made out of potatoes. If anyone wants the recipe, just lemme know. My mom used to make it for Thanksgiving, so it makes me feel good to make it as well. Brings back nice memories of warm kitchens, parades on TV, all-night cooking, and family being together. I should scrap that.

I Have A Cold

Yup. A cold. It started on Tuesday, and I wasn't able to take anything for it until yesterday because of a medical test I was having done. I'm miserable.

I have many things to do today and not enough energy to do them with. Andrew will be coming home from hunting tomorrow. I'll be glad to see him. Ain't it amazing, I really do miss him! :) His hunting trip experience hasn't turned out how he wanted it, and he's not having a good time. Long, sordid story.

Anyway...I'm sittin' here drinking my coffee, trying to get enough gumption to go out and get new tires for the car. I had a flat coming out of school on Tuesday, so there's a donut on there now. Fun stuff.

I actually started Christmas shopping! GASP! Target had a bunch of clothes on clearance, so I got some cute stuff for the girls. They actually WANT clothes for Christmas. I'm surely happy about that, since I hate buying toys for them to leave all over their room. Cora wants art supplies and a backpack for her to put her webkinz in. She has a clydesdale named Sugar. Sarah has a pig named Alexandra. These webkinz are the cutest things.

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. Andrew's sister and her family are coming in from Colorado, as well as his aunt and uncle from St. Louis. Should make for a raucous holiday! I'm thankful for his family, as mine is spread all over the U.S.

Lookie what I want for Christmas:

What the heck are they, you ask? Limbs for my bow. These are the latest technology to come out of Hoyt. Nice, pretty, expensive limbs. Will I actually GET them? Highly doubtful. However, a girl can dream, right? You know you're an archery geek when you want limbs for Christmas instead of all the other girlie stuff most women want. The limbs I have now are fine, but I'll definitely want better limbs for next year's outdoor season.

Welp, I'm off of here. DayQuil is calling!

Belated Hall of Fame Win

So, I'm sure everyone has heard about the Hall of Fame drama in the scrappin' world. Well, two ladies were disqualified as winners because there were questions about whether the entrants took all the photos on their entries or not. Creating Keepsakes decided to offer those two spots to two Honorable Mentions. I was selected. I guess that means that I would have been a Hall of Famer back in March if the contest had gone as it was supposed to.

I have mixed/bittersweet feelings about being offered the title. Am I excited? Yes. Did I debate accepting? Yes. It's 7 months into the Hall of Fame year, so I've missed out on that time. Who's to say I would have gained anything by having that time. We may never know. It would have been fun to be a part of the week-long hoopla that happens every year at Hall of Fame Call time. Twenty Five anonymous posts stating they won HOF. Oh well. I'm a big girl and can handle that I didn't get to do it. I was still a part of it, even if as just a spectator.

And, I got to know 49 WONDERFUL ladies who are the Honorable Mentions. These ladies are true class acts, and I'm truly grateful I was able to rub elbows with some of the best in the industry. I've made lasting friendships that will be there long after this year is over. Love you ladies!!!

At this point, I'm happy. Do I need the validation that comes from this? Maybe, sometimes. Anyone who entered was looking for some level of validation. I love scrapbooking. I love showing my layouts to others. I love hearing if people like my work. I would still scrapbook even if I never showed these layouts to anyone other than my family. I guess accepting this title, even after 7 months, just kinda makes me feel good. Nothing wrong with that. Regardless of whether I become "famous" because of this (highly doubtful), or just ride the wave of obscurity until the next class of HOFers comes in, I'm happy. I accepted the title for reasons that are my own. I'm content to live with that. Life is good.

Whatever

I can't think of anything better to title my post with. Whatever seems to be how I feel at the moment.

Not much going on today. I have a dentist appointment this morning. That should be fun like a barrel of crackheaded monkeys!

The leaves are changing so fast here in Michigan. A lot of the leaves have fallen already. I'm going to try to get out and get some photos of the trees today after my appt.

Well, since I can't think of anything else to talk about this morning, I'll post some layouts and some photos of Sarah.

One of Cora shooting. She's so bad ass!


Now onto the layouts:









Have a wonderful day, everyone!!

I'm About All Studied Out...

I have an exam in about an hour. Am I studying for it? Nope. I'm so sick of looking at textbooks. I'm sick of reading about Photosynthesis and the Calvin Cycle.

So, I'm sitting here blogging. A much more productive use for me time! :)

It's cold today! We'll be lucky if it hits 50 degrees today. Last weekend we got sunburned with record highs, and now it's C O L D. Grrrrr...gotta love Michigan.

Hmmm...what's been going on lately with the Spanglers? Let's see...Cora joined the Chess Club at school, and is loving learning how to play. The coach thinks she's got real talent, so we'll see if she keeps it up. She's practicing for a tournament in November. That should be interesting. All I keep thinking about is the movie Searching For Bobby Fischer, where the little boy is a chess prodigy. Love that movie. I might rent it this weekend for Cora and Sarah to watch. I think they'd both like it.

What's everyone reading right now? I'm reading Black and Blue by Anna Quindlin. Apparently it's an Oprah's Book Club pick, but I started reading it before I found that out. It's a good read, something I can get through without too much brain power. I like books where I can read leisurely in between studying.

It's almost Christmas season. Now I get to think about what I want to get the girls for Christmas. Cora no longer believes in Santa. She loves the idea that she's now in on the secret with the adults, and Sarah is still "in the dark" about the whole thing. I told her that is she ruins it for Sarah, then no presents for her! :)

I think Sarah will get a Webkinz from Santa. Still thinking about what to get Cora. I don't really want to buy a bunch of "stuff" for the girls. I'd rather them get a few things and then focus on the real meaning of Christmas. Yeah, I know it's hard for kids to understand that, but it doesn't hurt to try. I don't want them to get all wrapped up in the commercialism of the season. I stopped buying all kinds of candy for Easter since that stuff has nothing to do with Easter whatsoever.

What else can I ramble about? One more year until the 2008 Summer Olympics!! I'm really hoping I can find some coverage of the Archery events. Since it's not a huge draw for spectators, it might prove difficult. Hopefully my Father-in-law's satellite provider will have some broadcasts. Speaking of the Olympics, I'm really disappointed in the news about Marion Jones. I remember watching her and thinking that she was just awesome. I took it for granted that she had some integrity and did it all on her own. I'm really bummed that she cheated to win those medals. Could she have won without the use of steroids? Maybe. But we'll never know. Loser.

Anyway...guess I'm off here to pretend like I'm studying.

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday, Dad

I miss you terribly.




Lawrence Eugene Reese
October 10, 1942 - August 17, 2005

It's Been A While...

Since I've updated my poor, neglected blog. School has kept me crazy busy. Who whoulda thunk that taking Physics and Pre-Calculus would be a wee bit hard?? HA! Holy crap it's very overwhelming. I'm trudging through, and with some luck I'll make it through both classes (plus my Biology class) with a grade good enough not to have to retake them! :)

It's been HOT here the past week. I mean, it's October, for goodness sake! I got a sunburn at Sarah's soccer game last weekend! I've loved the weather though. Today was the last of the nice weather. Tomorrow starts the rain and cool weather. Guess it IS autumn, right?

Anyway...

I leave you with a photo of Cora and Andrew. This was taken at the Fall Classic, the last big outdoor archery tournament of the year.

Woot Woot!

It's Friday! No school for me today, but my house is a disaster area. Guess I oughta clean it, eh? First I'm gonna go shoot my bow for a while. We just got it set up for shooting indoor, since the outdoor season is over.

The Archery Olympic Trials start today!!! I have a friend who is there trying to make a go of it. GO LORI!!!! I can't wait to follow it. They'll have a photographer there today taking photos, and if I see her in one, I'll post it. I'm extremely geeked for her. It's not gonna be easy, but she's got the cojones to do it!

How DO You Cure A Broken Heart?

Poor Cora. She's suffering from her first broken heart. Yes. She's only 8. However, she's had a boyfriend since the middle of last school year, and now this boy is "seeing" someone else. Poor Cora is distraught. Sure, she's only 8, and it's not really a huge deal. But it is to her. She's been in the bed crying about it. I was in there talking to her, trying to help her to understand that it's ok to be upset about things like this. To her, it's the end of the world and there are NO other cute boys in the ENTIRE school (according to her). I told her that time will change how she feels, and that all she can do is just let him go. If only we adults could use that advice in our own lives sometimes. I guess there's actually nothing I can DO for her except hold her while she cries, and listen while she talks. I pray that I'm able to do that when she's older.